Surprising role of plankton in buffering climate change topic of Oregon State Science Pub talk April 5

By Sean Nealon, 541-737-0787, [email protected]

Source: Kimberly Halsey, [email protected]

This news release is available online: https://beav.es/Sgo

Photo of Kimberly Halsey: https://flic.kr/p/2onxP3N

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The surprising role that invisible single-celled microbes play in buffering climate change impacts in ocean waters will be the topic of Oregon State University’s Science Pub event at 6 p.m. April 5.

The free event, which can be attended in person at the Old World Deli in Corvallis or viewed online, will feature a presentation by Kimberly Halsey, the Excellence in Microbiology Faculty Scholar in the OSU College of Science. Her presentation is titled “The oceans’ single-celled gas guzzlers.”

In her talk, Halsey, will talk about how gaseous organic molecules are transferred at a surprisingly high rate between plankton at the surface of the ocean. These gasses, including well known solvents such as benzene and acetone, contribute up to 20% of the marine carbon cycle, the process by which planet-warming atmospheric carbon is pulled into the sea.

Photosynthetic plankton are the major producers of these organic gasses and diverse bacterioplankton are the consumers. Efficient gas transfer between these plankton groups limits sea-air gas emissions that have wide-ranging climate impacts.

“Our research is revealing that there is a very large gas cycle in the ocean,” Halsey said. “The cycle is made up of a huge number of gasses that are guzzled by marine bacteria at very high rates. These gas cycles are critical to preventing gasses from entering the atmosphere where they can deplete the protective ozone layer.”

Registration is required to attend Science Pub in person or to view it online. The Old World Deli is located at 341 SW 2nd St., Corvallis.

Sponsors of Science Pub include the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Old World Deli, Oregon State’s Research Office and Oregon State University.

About Oregon State University: As one of only three universities in the nation designated as a land, sea, space and sun grant institution, Oregon State serves Oregon and the world by working on today’s most pressing issues. Our more than 35,000 students come from across the globe, and our programs operate in every Oregon county. Oregon State receives more research funding than all of the state’s comprehensive public universities combined. At our campuses in Corvallis and Bend, marine research center in Newport and top-ranked Ecampus online degree programs, we excel at shaping today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders.

On-campus TV and radio services: Oregon State University is equipped with on-campus television and radio studios/services that can be used by journalists. Live or live-to-tape broadcast television and radio interviews can be conducted using Vyvx, Zoom, Webex or Comrex (IP Audio). Oregon State staff can also gather b-roll and coordinate live-to-tape interviews on locations throughout campus. For radio, Oregon State’s Comrex (IP Audio) provides a broadcast-quality audio feed.