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Bucket Brigade

Ocean scientists have access to sophisticated instruments to study the ocean, but sometimes, nothing beats a bucket for collecting water samples. For a study on phytoplankton, MIT-WHOI Joint Program graduate Kristen Hunter-Cevera collected water to verify data collected using a high-resolution continuous sampling system called the FlowCytobot. The study, which used data collected over a 13-year period, shows how changes in ocean temperature affect a key species of phytoplankton, Synechococcus. The researchers found that Synechococcus cells divided faster in warmer conditions, causing its annual bloom to occurr up to four weeks earlier than usual, which could have a major impact on marine ecosystems worldwide. (Photo by Yolimar Rivera Vazquez, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)