Forams As Storytellers: What Can Tiny Plankton Tell Us About Past And Present Ocean Climate?

As ocean temperatures change, entire ecosystems are impacted. During marine heatwaves, tropical species are more frequently found in areas outside their normal range. When a massive marine heatwave known as ‘The Blob’ occurred off the Oregon coast, researchers recorded impacts to tiny plankton called foraminifera (or ‘forams’). Forams have been called the ocean’s ‘living thermometers’ because they can be used to understand ancient climate, and they can also be used to tell us what’s happening with current phenomena like the Blob. In this lesson, students learn about marine heatwaves, explore how heatwaves impact forams and other organisms, and learn how the distribution of foraminifera species in the fossil record and in deep sea sediment cores helps researchers understand changes in ocean climate. Grant no. NA22OAR4170102