Ocean to Sky – a #poem about #Plankton and #Clouds by Kate Rauner

Diatoms through a microscope

From agitation of the waves

Aerosols float skywards,

Originating in the seas

And sending droplets higher.

Particles that form the heart

Of clouds reflecting light,

Pile high into the sky.

But why are so bright?

From space our satellites discover

Clouds, composed in summer

Of tiny droplets from the sea,

That create this wonder.

A happy side effect

Of photons striking molecules,

Sugars built with sunlight

To be each cell’s working fuel.

Tiny creatures manufacture

Amides and triphosphate,

And phytoplankton in the seas

Release a propionate.

Plankton bloom by trillions,

A bubbly scum upon the waves,

That winds can loft with ease

So cooling clouds they gave.

As acid rises in the seas

From airborne C O 2,

The plankton’s bloom will surely fade

‘Neath hotter skies

Than we’re used to.

As explained by csmonitor.com “The clouds over the Southern Ocean reflect significantly more sunlight in the summertime than they would without these huge plankton blooms.” Clouds reflect some of the sun’s heat, affecting climate. Microscopic plankton also “supply half of the planet’s oxygen.” The study is covered in many outlets. You can read more on plankton and photosynthesis, too.