Ecosystem

Global warming

Geology

Climate change

Marine ecosystem

Biology

Composite number

Oceanography

Nutrient

Carbon fibers

Composite material

Ecology

Materials science

Phytoplankton

Hydrography

Effects of global warming on oceans

Environmental science

Carbon cycle

Nature Communications

Ocean ecosystem models predict that warming and increased surface ocean stratification will trigger a series of ecosystem events, reducing the biological export of particulate carbon to the ocean interior. We present a nearly three-decade time series from the open ocean that documents a biological response to ocean warming and nutrient reductions wherein particulate carbon export is maintained, counter to expectations. Carbon export is maintained through a combination of phytoplankton community change to favor cyanobacteria with high cellular carbon-to-phosphorus ratios and enhanced shallow phosphorus recycling leading to increased nutrient use efficiency. These results suggest that surface ocean ecosystems may be more responsive and adapt more rapidly to changes in the hydrographic system than is currently envisioned in earth ecosystem models, with positive consequences for ocean carbon uptake.

Adaptive carbon export response to warming in the Sargasso Sea