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Global warming blamed for 40 percent decline in ocean phytoplankton
The microscopic plants that support all life in the oceans are dying off at a dramatic rate, according to a study that has documented for the first time a disturbing and unprecedented change at the base of the marine food web.
Scientists have discovered that the phytoplankton of the oceans has declined by about 40 percent over the past century, with much of the loss occurring since the 1950s. They believe the change is linked with rising sea temperatures and global warming
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If the findings are confirmed by further studies it will represent the single biggest change to the global biosphere in modern times, even bigger than the destruction of the tropical rainforests and coral reefs, the scientists said yesterday.