Ocean Microbiology – CO2

Ocean Microbiology CO2

Ambience: Ocean
If we’re going to understand climate change and how we might control it, we’re going to have to get a better understanding of the microbiology of our oceans. I’m Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet.

Edwards: So, microbes are basically the stewards of our planet’s biogeochemical cycles, including the carbon cycle which is responsible for how our climate is regulated.

Katrina Edwards is a Professor of Microbiology at the University of Southern California

Edwards: It’s called the biological carbon pump. And that’s where microscopic plant life these cyanobacteria fix CO2 and make new organic material with that CO2 by reducing it, and that is what takes carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and buries it into the oceanic floor. And that’s a really important process that regulates the carbon cycle. So, when we think about planetary change and what we’re doing to our climate, if we affect this biological carbon pump, it’s going to further have feedback effects into how our climate is regulated.

Edwards: You may have heard of a process that’s being developed to mitigate the CO2 that we’re pumping into our atmosphere where they take CO2 and instead they pump it into these aquifer systems. But, basically what they’re doing is introducing large amounts of carbon dioxide into what is an ecosystem.
And so, it’s going to have effects on the ecosystem. So we know something’s going to happen when we introduce these materials, but we don’t know, really, what the consequence is. So it’s important for us to figure these things out.
If we disrupt our system so that the microbial system is disrupted as well, then we’re going to have large-scale planetary effects.

Pulse of the Planet is made possible in part by the National Science Foundation and Virginia Tech, inventing the future through a hands-on approach to education and research.

Ocean Microbiology - CO2

If we're going to understand climate change, we need a better understanding of the microbiology of our oceans.
Air Date:10/18/2016
Scientist:
Transcript:

Ocean Microbiology CO2

Ambience: Ocean
If we're going to understand climate change and how we might control it, we're going to have to get a better understanding of the microbiology of our oceans. I'm Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet.

Edwards: So, microbes are basically the stewards of our planet's biogeochemical cycles, including the carbon cycle which is responsible for how our climate is regulated.

Katrina Edwards is a Professor of Microbiology at the University of Southern California

Edwards: It's called the biological carbon pump. And that's where microscopic plant life these cyanobacteria fix CO2 and make new organic material with that CO2 by reducing it, and that is what takes carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and buries it into the oceanic floor. And that's a really important process that regulates the carbon cycle. So, when we think about planetary change and what we're doing to our climate, if we affect this biological carbon pump, it's going to further have feedback effects into how our climate is regulated.

Edwards: You may have heard of a process that's being developed to mitigate the CO2 that we're pumping into our atmosphere where they take CO2 and instead they pump it into these aquifer systems. But, basically what they're doing is introducing large amounts of carbon dioxide into what is an ecosystem.
And so, it's going to have effects on the ecosystem. So we know something's going to happen when we introduce these materials, but we don't know, really, what the consequence is. So it's important for us to figure these things out.
If we disrupt our system so that the microbial system is disrupted as well, then we're going to have large-scale planetary effects.

Pulse of the Planet is made possible in part by the National Science Foundation and Virginia Tech, inventing the future through a hands-on approach to education and research.