EAST BOOTHBAY (AP) — Five Maine scientists will spend the next three weeks traversing the Pacific Ocean studying how phytoplankton affect the nutrient cycles of the ocean.
The scientists are from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay. A spokeswoman for the lab says they will travel from Honolulu toward the Equator studying the relationship between phytoplankton biology and the ocean’s chemistry. Phytoplankton are microscopic plants that live near the ocean’s surface and play a critical role in the ocean’s food web.
The scientists left on Wednesday and will return to Honolulu on Oct. 8 before coming back to Maine. Their work will include testing phytoplankton for levels of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less