In the winter in the Northern Hemisphere, plants become dormant, drop their leaves and quit photosynthesizing. Where do we get the oxygen we need to breathe? Surprisingly, most of our oxygen doesn't come from trees surrounding us on land. Most of it comes from the ocean. There are land plants near the equator that photosynthesize all year round, and most plant biomass is in the tropics and subtropical regions on Earth. These trees, bushes and plants never lose their leaves and never experience winter because there is constant, direct, sunlight. Look at how much ocean we have on Earth on the other hand.... In the oceans are bazillions of teeny-tiny organisms called phytoplankton. These organisms provide most of the oxygen the Earth needs and uses throughout all the years before us and after us. These little creatures manufacture 70% of the Earth's oxygen! Ecologists may cry "Save the Whales! Save the pandas! Save the lizards!" Really we should be crying, "Save the Plankton" because they are producing nearly all our oxygen! I love this little guy! I wish he would take over the world, do you see what this might mean for us? Only the best!
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |