Role of Ocean in Global Environment

Abstract

Ocean plays an important role in global environment in terms of heat transport and carbon cycle. Carbon is distributed in the ratio of 1:50 between atmosphere and ocean, respectively, and therefore even small fluctuation of carbon budget in the ocean will strongly affect the carbon budget in the atmosphere. Biogeochemical cycle in ocean is driven by marine ecosystem, in particular by marine phytoplankton, and complex multi-phase flow exists in the ocean. Controlled experimental ecosystem is useful in order to understand biochemical flux in multi-phase flow of marine ecosystem. Experimental results using marine phytoplankton. Emiliania huxleyi showed the importance of phytoplankton on carbon flux in the ocean.