Phytoplankton are at the heart of the biological component of the ocean carbon cycle. These tiny marine plants transfer vast amounts of organic carbon from the surface waters to the deep ocean – a process called the ocean biological carbon pump. Through the Biological Pump and Carbon Exchange Processes project, a project funded by ESA’s Science for Society Programme, scientists are using ocean colour satellite data to gain greater insight into the complexities of the processes involved. This will improve our understanding of the ocean carbon cycle and its impact on the global carbon budget and Earth’s climate.

Read full story: Untangling the ocean biological carbon pump