Ocean warming may supercharge a tiny microbe that controls marine nutrients

Ocean warming may supercharge a tiny microbe that controls marine nutrients

• Date:
• March 11, 2026
• Source:
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Summary:
• As deep-sea waters warm, scientists expected trouble for the microbes that help keep ocean chemistry in balance. Instead, researchers found that Nitrosopumilus maritimus can adapt to warmer, iron-limited conditions by using iron more efficiently. Because these microbes control key nitrogen reactions that support marine life,...