Studies and forecasts made on climate change are not generally take into account a parameter: the evolution of the species concerned.
Dolphin or cod, for example, will not have time to adapt biologically to new circumstances, because it takes millennia or millions of years for them to undergo the necessary modifications of their organism.
But according to a study that has just been published in the journal Nature Climate Change , there is a very important inhabitant of the oceans that does transform as the acidification and temperature of the waters increase: the unicellular alga Emiliania huxley .
This component of phytoplankton , capable of producing 500 generations a year, could withstand the worst scenarios predicted for the mid-22nd century if global warming continues to escalate. And the survival of Emiliania Huxley is essential, since it constitutes a very important ingredient in the diet of underwater fauna and absorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide , which is mainly responsible for the greenhouse effect.
Conducted off the coast of Norway, research has shown that this microscopic species tends to decrease in size when water temperature increases , compensating for the loss of biomass with faster reproduction.
Scientists believe that Emiliania Huxley’s “express adaptation” would explain why some coral reefs or sea urchins are more resilient than might be expected under the circumstances.
