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Palaeoceanography

Cycling carbon with coccolithophores

Cellular modelling and geochemical analyses reveal that a dominant group of phytoplankton changed their carbonate production as atmospheric CO2 levels declined from peak levels in the warm early Eocene, hinting at a positive feedback in the global carbon cycle.

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Fig. 1: Coccosphere of Coccolithus pelagicus.

The Natural History Museum / Alamy Stock Photo.

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Correspondence to Rosie M. Sheward.

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Sheward, R.M. Cycling carbon with coccolithophores. Nat. Geosci. 15, 758–759 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-01039-5

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