A €2 million European Research Council grant has been awarded to NIOZ scientist Helge Niemann to investigate microbial breakdown of plastics in the ocean. Microbes may utilize plastics as carbon substrates, but key factors controlling degradation are largely unknown.
Foraminifera, tiny unicellular organisms, produce better shells in acidic water due to a self-regulating biochemical mechanism. This discovery challenges the prevailing theory and could lead to increased CO2 levels in oceans, resulting in more rapid global warming.
Red knots migrate to tropical regions, where smaller size and shorter bills impede survival. Climate change disrupts the insect peak, leading to malnutrition and population decline.