Penguins resting on Antarctic sea ice

The Southern Ocean around the Antarctic ice sheet is home to two main types of phytoplankton: diatoms (46%) and haptophytes (32%). They provide both an important source of food and an important form of carbon sequestration. But not all phytoplankton are born equal – diatoms have a far superior ability to absorb carbon in their hard silica shells and when they sink to the ocean bed, they take the carbon atoms with them. They are also the preferred food of krill, the small, shrimp-like crustaceans that in turn are food for whales, penguins, seals and fish.

Read full story: Tracking the climate-driven shift in Antarctic plankton from space