Our understanding of the climate feedback processes which are driven by the ocean is still incomplete. This makes it harder to predict the future state of the climate. While we understand in theory how gases move in and out of the ocean, there haven 't been many experiments which actually measured this exchange with the atmosphere. Another factor that influences gas exchange in the open ocean is phytoplankton. These tiny plants – many of which are too small to be seen with the naked eye – are incredibly important, accounting for about half of all the photosynthesis which happens on earth. Photosynthesis is important not only because it allows plants to grow, but also because it removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. |