While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Phytoplankton are microscopic marine algae that produce roughly 50% of Earth's o

Question

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Phytoplankton are microscopic marine algae that produce roughly 50% of Earth's oxygen.
- Like land plants, phytoplankton absorb carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) through photosynthesis.
- When phytoplankton die, a portion of the absorbed carbon sinks to the deep ocean floor.
- This biological pump sequesters approximately 10 gigatons of carbon annually.
- Climate-induced ocean warming may reduce nutrient upwelling, inhibiting phytoplankton blooms.

The student wants to emphasize how phytoplankton contribute to global climate regulation. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Accepted Answer

By absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide and sequestering approximately 10 gigatons of carbon in the deep ocean each year, phytoplankton play a vital role in regulating the global climate.

Answer

If ocean temperatures continue to rise, nutrient upwelling could decline, leading to smaller phytoplankton blooms.

Answer

Microscopic marine organisms known as phytoplankton photosynthesize carbon dioxide similarly to terrestrial flora.

Answer

Phytoplankton produce 50% of the world's oxygen, but warming ocean waters threaten to disrupt the nutrient upwelling they require.

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