A new study suggests that the oceans' best hope for controlling its large currents might rely on the smallest sea creatures.
Tiny Fishes Assemble
Several scientific studies have revealed that small ocean animals such as shrimp and krill might be able to control the ocean's turbulence. On April 18, Nature released a study from several Stanford University scientists who studied these creatures. The scientists revealed that if swarms of these tiny sea creatures can come together, then the beings would be able to make an impact on the world's oceans.
For their research, the scientists put shrimp into two giant water-filled containers. Next, they simulated the ocean's currents by putting in a device that created mini whirlpools inside those water-filled containers. The invention also could separate both the shallow waters with salty liquids. According to Science News, the shrimp that was used in the university's experiments represented many of the ocean's inhabitants including krill and copepods. Together, researchers believed that this duo would team up to deliver nutrients to phytoplankton near the surface.
The research team used LED lights in hopes that the tens of thousands of shrimp that was inside the giant tanks hoped that the small crustaceans would migrate in either an upward or downward direction. The group found that if the shrimp traveled together in close groups, the shrimp had the power to magnify their impact.
The scientists stated that when the shrimp swam upward towards the currents, it kicked in a backward direction. The result of their movement caused a chain reaction where it reached the entire group of shrimp. The Stanford University scientists believed that the crustaceans would be able to move several hundreds of meters in the ocean.
The Next Chapter
The research team has noted that they would like to test their research. The Stanford University team revealed that they would need to certify their findings near an ocean. One of the members of the group stated to the Stanford News Service that they would need to find swarms of krill and the spots that they were looking for the tiny sea creatures in various locations such as the California coast and Antarctica.
Oceans Update
While the Stanford University research team prepares to enter the next phase of their experiment, the ocean has been a topic of several scientific current events. Climate change is being blamed that the Atlantic Ocean's circulation is at the lowest point in 1,500 years. Scientists have discovered that the oceans have generated a second magnetic field thanks to the moon's manipulations. A study that was published on Feb. 22 stated the ocean's coral reefs are in grave danger when carbon dioxide dissolves out of the atmosphere and into the ocean.
