“MBARI Study: Swimming Sea Cucumber Pelagothuria natatrix Key to Ocean Carbon Cycle in Galá” — what this page in the network covers. New research from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) reveals that a unique swimming sea cucumber, Pelagothuria natatrix, plays a significant and unexpected role in the ocean's carbon cycle. Published in the journal Ecology, senior scientist Bruce Robison reports that this species is a prominent member of the midwater community in the Galápagos Islands, where it intercepts carbon sinking toward the deep seafloor.
This discovery matters because the ocean's biological pump—the process by which carbon is transported from surface waters to the deep sea—is critical for regulating Earth's climate. By consuming sinking particles, Pelagothuria natatrix may alter the efficiency of carbon sequestration, potentially reducing the amount of carbon that reaches long-term storage in seafloor sediments. For the complete material, the listing points back to the source inside the network.