MIT scientists have created a model of the ocean to gain a better understanding of the role that oceans play in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Our oceans are home to a diverse forest of tiny, single-celled green plants know as phytoplankton. This invisible ocean forest is responsible for producing half the world’s oxygen supply, and for regulating greenhouse gases, specifically carbon dioxide. The ocean model is an important component of MIT’s Darwin Project, a cross-disciplinary research project involving systems, biology, microbial ecology, global biogeochemical cycles and climate.
Ecosystems in the ocean model are allowed to form and interact naturally regulated by natural selection. The model simulates physical and chemical interactions that are characteristic of the world’s oceans, by randomly generating phytoplankton and then allowing for ocean selection of those most fit for survival. A 10-year virtual evolution study (completed in 4-5 days using computer technology) involving the ocean model revealed a phytoplankton community similar to communities that are commonly found in the natural world.
Scientists hope the ocean model will help develop a more thorough understanding of the genetic diversity of marine microorganisms in shaping the marine habitat and global climate.
A report on the MIT Earth System Initiatives Darwin Project will be presented in the March 30 issue of Science.
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