Here’s how tourists are solving a plankton puzzle in Antarctica

Enlarge this image In the summer, there are enough phytoplankton to feed the millions of tons of krill that then feed the migratory whales that tourists travel very far to see in Antarctica. Andrew Peacock/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Andrew Peacock/Getty Images In the summer, there are enough phytoplankton to feed the millions of tons of krill that then feed the migratory whales that tourists travel very far to see in Antarctica. Andrew Peacock/Getty Images Tourists to Antarctica are fueling research on some of the tiniest, most influential organisms on Earth: phytoplankton. These itty bitty critters make their own food and are the base of the food web in most of the ocean, but tracking how well they’re doing is historically tricky. So, researchers with the program FjordPhyto are using samples collected by these tourists to understand how the balance of power in the Antarctic food web could be shifting — could ripple across the food web of the entire ocean. Want to hear more community science at work or about polar ecosystems? Let us know by emailing [email protected]! We’re also always open to other story ideas you have. Listen to Short Wave on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave. This episode was produced by Berly McCoy and edited by Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the facts. Jimmy Keeley was the audio engineer. Sponsor Message