Ref.: BioScience (June 2025)
An international group of authors led by Maria Grigoratou et al. has published a compelling review spotlighting plankton’s foundational role across six impact domains—biogeochemistry, ecology, climate, science, economy, and human well‑being—framed within the IPBES “Life Framework of Values”
Key takeaways:
- Plankton govern global nutrient and carbon cycles, producing oxygen and enabling long‑term carbon sequestration through the biological pump
- They underpin aquatic food webs, ensuring biodiversity and food security across marine and freshwater ecosystems
- Their influence extends to technological and cultural domains—advancing biomedicine, engineering, paleoclimatology, even inspiring design and architecture
- Despite their centrality to Earth systems and human welfare, plankton are chronically undervalued in research, policy, and public perception.
This article is a must-read for marine microbiologists, oceanographers, policymakers, and anyone working at the intersection of microbial communities and global change.
Read the full, open‑access article here.