Planktonic foraminifera are tiny marine organisms, which are essential to the ocean's carbon cycle. A recent study conducted by the CEREGE research center in Aix-en-Provence, Aix-Marseille University, the Center for the Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity (CESAB) in Montpellier, and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, reveals that these populations are shrinking at an alarming rate due to ocean warming and acidification. Elevated CO2 levels and thus acidifying waters are making it harder for these single-cell organisms to form their shells, putting their survival at risk. Some foraminifera have begun migrating to cooler waters in an attempt to adapt, but environmental changes are occurring faster than they can keep up with. READ FULL ARTICLE