There, these elements stimulate microscopic plant production, which draws carbon dioxide into the water to aid in plant growth. (sciencedaily.com)
For example, a lack of iron limits the growth of microscopic plants in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica and elsewhere, a fact that prompted marine biologist John Martin to famously muse: «Give me half a tanker of iron, and I'll give you the next ice age.» (scientificamerican.com)
They are the very lowest rung of the marine food chain, but microscopic plants in the world's oceans generate five times more power than is consumed by all the humans in the world, according to a new study. (livescience.com)