
Jun 6, 2026
✦Earth.com
Tiny ocean shells draw a hidden line across the Atlantic, and it may shape Earth's carbon cycle
Tiny ocean shells called coccolithophores help regulate Earth's carbon cycle. Scientists got new answers from the Atlantic seafloor, studying ancient shells. Researchers used old sediment to estimate how fast cells grew and built calcite. Lead author Alba Gonzalez-Lanchas said the approach "leans on long-standing microscope methods." This process locks away carbon for ages.