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Decline in plankton across North East Atlantic sends stark warning for ocean health
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/decline-in-plankton-across-north-east-atlantic-sends-stark-warning-for-ocean-healthA new study found there were no habitats assessed as being of ‘Good Environmental Status’ in a region stretching from Portugal to Norway
Mr Alan Williams
Media and Communications Manager
27 June 2026
Microscopic plankton are among the most important organisms on Earth. Phytoplankton produce around half of the oxygen we breathe, while plankton as a whole underpin marine food webs, support fisheries, help regulate carbon, and sustain life across the ocean.
However, a new study - led by researchers at the University of Plymouth - has used more than six decades of data to show that plankton abundance is declining across vast swathes of the North East Atlantic – a region covering the Atlantic Ocean from Portugal to Norway, and the entirety of the North Sea.
The research used 23 plankton datasets from 13 research institutions, alongside satellite data, to generate the first ever quantitative and integrative assessment of whether the pelagic habitats of western Europe are in Good Environmental Status, as defined by the EU and UK Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
These habitats are the open-water regions dominated by plankton and are central to ocean functioning. However, until now assessments for policy have largely described changes in plankton without being able to integrate them quantitatively into a clear regional status assessment.
…
Integrating plankton indicators to assess the state of pelagic habitats in the Northeast Atlantic. Ecological Indicators 115005 (2026) doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2026.115005.
Mr Alan Williams
Media and Communications Manager
27 June 2026
Microscopic plankton are among the most important organisms on Earth. Phytoplankton produce around half of the oxygen we breathe, while plankton as a whole underpin marine food webs, support fisheries, help regulate carbon, and sustain life across the ocean.
However, a new study - led by researchers at the University of Plymouth - has used more than six decades of data to show that plankton abundance is declining across vast swathes of the North East Atlantic – a region covering the Atlantic Ocean from Portugal to Norway, and the entirety of the North Sea.
The research used 23 plankton datasets from 13 research institutions, alongside satellite data, to generate the first ever quantitative and integrative assessment of whether the pelagic habitats of western Europe are in Good Environmental Status, as defined by the EU and UK Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
These habitats are the open-water regions dominated by plankton and are central to ocean functioning. However, until now assessments for policy have largely described changes in plankton without being able to integrate them quantitatively into a clear regional status assessment.
…
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