Sharks help us breathe. While rain forests are responsible for about 1/3 (28%) of the oxygen that we breathe, most of the Earth’s oxygen (70%) is produced by marine plants. Phytoplankton (microscopic marine plants that are so abundant they can be seem from space!) produce oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis. These algae form the base of the food chain for all of life in the ocean, which could make it the most important organism on earth. Polluted, warming waters (caused by runoff from land and C02 emissions) decrease phytoplankton production. However, historical overfishing causes far greater ecological consequences than any other human disturbance (Jackson et al. 2001). Meaning, the removal of top predators (such as sharks) can cause a phase-shift in the ocean’s ecosystem resulting in the disappearance of entire trophic levels (like the oxygen-producing phytoplankton). But hey, who needs to breathe anyway? #kindofabigdeal #itsallconnected #justbreathe #seafoodwatch #planetearth #oceanproduction #carboncycle #apexpredators #trophiclevels #bottomofthefoodchain #underappreciated #phytoplankton #algaearecool #savethereef #saveourseas #saveoursharks #oceanconservation #marinebiology ************************************** Post by intern @brittanyrvzoo Photo of phytoplankton bloom by @nasa (at Haleiwa, Hawaii) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw5UcM2BKNI/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1xc2t07bc1r9f