A first-principles look at phytoplankton chemistry reveals an overlooked driver of the ocean’s oxygen budget.
Continue reading Beyond Redfield: How Phytoplankton Physiology Shapes Ocean Oxygen
Tag Archives: Follows
Shlomit Sharoni, Keisuke Inomura, Stephanie Dutkiewicz, Oliver Jahn, Gregory L. Britten, Michael J. Follows (2026), C:H:N:O:P stoichiometry and oxygen demand of marine organic matter are driven by phytoplankton ecophysiology, Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aeg6228 Continue reading C:H:N:O:P stoichiometry and oxygen demand of marine organic matter are driven by phytoplankton ecophysiology
Sing-how Tuo, Ying-Yu Hu, Andrew J. Irwin, Michael J. Follows, Zoe V. Finkel (2026), Phosphate modulates elemental and macromolecular composition of unicellular nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, Limnology and Oceanography, doi: 10.1002/lno.70475 Continue reading Phosphate modulates elemental and macromolecular composition of unicellular nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria
Stirring the Gyre: How ocean mixing sustains hidden diversity
Linking microbial populations to the histories of the water they inhabit, a new CBIOMES study demonstrates how mesoscale stirring regulates phytoplankton diversity in the subtropical gyre. Continue reading Stirring the Gyre: How ocean mixing sustains hidden diversity
Leonhard Lücken, Michael J. Follows, Jason G. Bragg, and Sinikka T. Lennartz (2026), The microbial community model MCoM 1.0: a scalable framework for modelling phototroph heterotrophic interactions in diverse microbial communities, Geosci. Model Dev., doi: 10.5194/gmd-19-2461-2026 Continue reading The microbial community model MCoM 1.0: a scalable framework for modelling phototroph heterotrophic interactions in diverse microbial communities
Climate change may produce “fast-food” phytoplankton
With warmer ocean temperatures, the composition of marine plankton could shift from protein-rich to carb-heavy, a new study suggests. Continue reading Climate change may produce “fast-food” phytoplankton
Osnat Weissberg, Dikla Aharonovich, Zhen Wu, Michael J. Follows & Daniel Sher (2025), Models and co-culture experiments assess four mechanisms of phytoplankton bacteria interactions, Nature Microbiology, doi: 10.1038/s41564-025-02196-0 Continue reading Models and co-culture experiments assess four mechanisms of phytoplankton bacteria interactions
McCain J. S. P., G. L. Britten, S. R. Hackett, M. J. Follows, G.W. Li (2025), Microbial reaction rate estimation using proteins and proteomes, ISME J., doi: 10.1093/ismejo/wraf018
Continue reading Microbial reaction rate estimation using proteins and proteomes
Satellite Eyes on Swirling Seas
Darwin researchers reveal how ocean eddies shape chlorophyll patterns across seasons and regions. Continue reading Satellite Eyes on Swirling Seas
Arianna I. Krinos, Sara K. Shapiro, Weixuan Li, Sheean T. Haley, Sonya T. Dyhrman, Stephanie Dutkiewicz, Michael J. Follows, Harriet Alexander (2025), Intraspecific Diversity in Thermal Performance Determines Phytoplankton Ecological Niche, Ecology Letters, doi: 10.1111/ele.70055 Continue reading Intraspecific Diversity in Thermal Performance Determines Phytoplankton Ecological Niche