New paper out in Ecology and Evolution showing how feeding on detritus (krill poo) can stimulate microbial respiration of organic carbon decreasing the ocean carbon sink, whilst simultaneously providing the detritivores (i.e. krill) with essential nutrients.
This was a small experiment done at the Australian Antarctic Division in Tasmania, in their krill aquarium, a unique opportunity! Previously only modelling studies had theoretically shown that microbial gardening is an important process in the ocean biological carbon pump.