Plankton tends not to be noticed and so is undervalued. Planktonic creatures are the unsung heroes of our oceans, forming the foundation of marine ecosystems and contributing significantly to global ecological balance.
Despite their microscopic size, their impact on biodiversity, nutrient cycling, climate regulation, food webs, and energy and carbon flow is immense.
Plankton is at the base of the marine food web, serving as a primary food source for a vast array of species, from small fish to large whales. Without plankton, these ecosystems would collapse, affecting marine biodiversity and life on Earth. Additionally, plankton nutrient cycling keeps marine ecosystems productive and healthy.
Plankton benefits people through many ecosystem services, but some species can also have significant negative impacts (such as harmful or nuisance algal blooms and jelly fish swarms) which presents challenges for traditional accounting approaches. Moreover, plankton mainly operates at the level of intermediate and supporting ecosystem services, rather than providing the final services traditionally used in natural capital accounts.
Plankton plays a crucial role in regulating Earth’s climate. Phytoplankton, through photosynthesis, is responsible for at least 50% of the world’s production of oxygen —more than all the world’s forests combined. Furthermore, some species absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide before they sink to the sea-bed, helping to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases and so mitigate climate change.
UK shelf seas are 6 times the area of the UK and have been valued at £47 billion, with pelagic carbon stocks of around 2.5 billion tonnes of carbon. The value of plankton services is hard to measure but has been variously estimated in the region of £28-£246 billion per year (depending on inclusions and offsetting rates). The latest estimate of the monetary value of UK pelagic habitats is £2,638 per person (in 2019). Plankton support global economies by sustaining fisheries and aquaculture industries. Healthy plankton populations ensure robust fish stocks, which millions of people rely on for their livelihoods and as a primary food source. Their role in maintaining ocean health directly influences the sustainability of marine-based economies.
A challenge is that under traditional natural capital terminology, an increase of an asset is considered a good outcome as it produces more returns, i.e. ecosystem services. Thus an increasing amount of plankton might benefit society by increasing carbon sequestration and food supply. But it might also have the undesirable effects associated with eutrophication, such as increases in nuisance and toxic algal blooms, oxygen depletion, and hypoxic/anoxic events resulting in benthic organism or fish mortality. This complicates the evaluation, so that we need to consider both “physical accounts” (which describe changes) and “monetary accounts ” (which add up benefits and costs).
Plankton are first-line indicators of ocean health and environmental changes. Scientists study plankton populations to monitor shifts in marine ecosystems, track the effects of climate change, and predict the impacts of pollution. Understanding plankton dynamics is essential for crafting informed conservation strategies ., mitigation measures, risk preparedness in order to manage on gong changes to the marine ecosystem and its services.
Natural capital concepts were developed from place based terrestrial systems and do not easily accommodate the diversity and dynamism of plankton communities.
This brief report was requested to help visualise plankton through the lens of a natural capital framework; a framework which has not been historically developed to describe such a diverse and dynamic system.
The coastal, or ‘nearshore’, waters of England are a key part of the country’s natural capital, with plankton providing a diverse range of benefits to society through ‘supporting’, ‘provisioning’, ‘regulating’ and ‘cultural’ services.; together with infrastructural connections, biologica control and bioprosecting for novel materials.
Despite its importance, plankton faces growing threats…
From climate change, ocean acidification, and pollution. Protecting these vital organisms is essential not only for marine ecosystems but for the health of the entire planet. By understanding and valuing plankton, we can take steps to ensure their survival and the continued balance of our oceans.
