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Ocean Twilight Zone

WHEN CARBON DIOXIDE ENTERS THE OCEAN, ITS FATE IS DECIDED IN AN AREA SOME CALL THE TWILIGHT ZONE.  LET’S PLUNGE INTO A WORLD BENEATH THE WAVES ON TODAY’S ENVIRONMINUTE.

THE TWILIGHT ZONE IS THE REGION BETWEEN THE SURFACE WATERS AND THE DEEP OCEAN.  AS MARINE PLANTS DIE, THEY PULL CARBON INTO THIS AREA, AWAY FROM THE ATMOSPHERE.

BUT THEN, INSTEAD OF SINKING TO THE DEEP OCEAN, SOME CARBON MAKES ITS WAY BACK INTO THE AIR.  KEN BUESSLER OF WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION SAYS IF ANIMALS OR BACTERIA IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE CONSUME THE CARBON, IT CAN RETURN TO THE SURFACE AND BE RELEASED AS A GREENHOUSE GAS. 

SO HE SAYS MORE RESEARCH ON THE TWILIGHT ZONE IS NEEDED TO DETERMINE THE OCEAN’S CAPACITY TO STORE CARBON DIOXIDE.

BUESSLER: OUR CHALLENGE AS OCEAN SCIENTISTS I THINK IS TO GET MORE OBSERVATIONS IN THE OCEAN AND THE NATURAL SYSTEM SO WE CAN THEN UNDERSTAND WHAT SOME OF THE CLIMATE CHANGES WILL BRING TO THE OCEANS AND THE CARBON CYCLE.

THE ENVIRONMINUTE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE HEINZ FAMILY PHILANTHROPIES AND THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS.  LEARN MORE BY VISITING ENVIRONMINUTE-DOT-COM.     

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