ShareSave
Climate and science correspondent
ShareSave
A tiny, obscure animal often sold as aquarium food has been quietly protecting our planet from global warming by undertaking an epic migration, according to new research.
These “unsung heroes” called zooplankton gorge themselves and grow fat in spring before sinking hundreds of metres into the deep ocean in Antarctica where they burn the fat.
This locks away as much planet-warming carbon as the annual emissions of roughly 55 million petrol cars, stopping it from further warming our atmosphere, according to researchers.
This is much more than scientists expected. But just as researchers uncover this service to our planet, threats to the zooplankton are growing.
Scientists have spent years probing the animal’s annual migration in Antarctic waters, or the Southern Ocean, and what it means for climate change.
The findings are “remarkable”, says lead author Dr Guang Yang from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, adding that it forces a re-think about how much carbon the Southern Ocean stores.
“The animals are an unsung hero because they have such a cool way of life,” says co-author Dr Jennifer Freer from British Antarctic Survey.
But compared to the most popular Antarctic animals like the whale or penguin, the small but mighty zooplankton are overlooked and under-appreciated.
If anyone has heard of them, it’s probably as a type of fish food available to buy online.
But their life cycle
The post Tiny creatures gorge, get fat, and help fight global warming first appeared on EnviroLink Network.
