Warming seas threaten fish food supply

Rising ocean temperatures are altering microscopic organisms at the bottom of the marine web, which could leave marine wildlife with diminished and poorer food options. Lauriane Ribas-Deulofeu, a scientist at Nord University, is examining these environmental transformations to understand how marine creatures might suffer from shifts in microscopic prey.

Plankton consists primarily of two groups: plant-like phytoplankton that generate energy through sunlight, and microscopic animal-like zooplankton that consume them. Together, these organisms sustain aquatic life, serving as the essential diet for fish and other larger sea creatures. Changes in one group directly influence the other, creating widespread ecological consequences.

AI tracks aquatic shifts

Scientists note that while phytoplankton will not disappear entirely, warmer waters are reorganizing which varieties dominate and altering the overall biomass they produce. Investigators are also evaluating whether seasonal blooms occur at different periods, potentially disconnecting prey from predator lifecycles. These shifts threaten to reach larger species and compromise vital fish populations that humans harvest.

To evaluate thousands of microscopic samples that would traditionally take months of manual inspection, Ribas-Deulofeu implemented artificial intelligence systems. Teaching algorithms to identify complex organisms required extensive training, but automated categorization now permits researchers to deliver rapid data directly to conservation managers and environmental decision-makers.

Beyond feeding oceanic animals, phytoplankton regulate global climate patterns by absorbing carbon dioxide and sequestering it when organic material sinks to seafloor depths. The ongoing research forms part of BioBoost+, a collaboration linking eight institutions across seven nations, alongside a broader European network uniting around fifty partners focused on standardized automated plankton monitoring.