trueDiscovery Science02/16/2024Spartans introduce a big new idea with the help of tiny planktonA new model bridges the rules of life at the individual scale and the ecosystem level, which could open new avenues of exploration in ecology, global change biology, and ultimately ecosystem management
  • Researchers at Michigan State University and the Carnegie Institution for Science have published a paper in Science detailing a model that connects microscopic biology to macroscopic ecology.
  • The team’s research used plankton as a model system, but the researchers say it could be extended to other species and ecosystems to deepen our understanding of nature and potentially inform ecosystem management strategies.
  • The team also plans to build on the model to better understand the impact of climate change on plankton, which accounts for roughly half of the planet’s primary production.
Matt DavenportGreen phytoplankton coils in blue water, magnified by a microscope.