U. professor proposes solutions to triple planetary crisis in 'Plankton Manifesto'

Paul Falkowski, a distinguished professor in the Departments of Marine and Coastal Sciences and Earth and Planetary Sciences, was among the members of the core editorial team who contributed to the compilation of the "Plankton Manifesto," according to a University article. 

The manifesto was spearheaded by the Ocean Stewardship Coalition of the United Nations Global Compact, and while the project took approximately a year to put together, it was presented to the United Nations in October, said Falkowski. 

The 20-page long document details the importance of plankton and offers solutions to combat crises related to the climate, biodiversity and pollution, known as the triple planetary crisis.

"Much less than 1 percent of the photosynthetic biomass on the planet is phytoplankton, and they produce 46 percent, approximately, of the world's oxygen. So, the small guys are doing a big job," he said. "Every other breath you take is coming from phytoplankton."

His fascination with the unique organisms was initially sparked during a cruise ride he took along the Hudson River and the New York/New Jersey Bight more than 50 years ago, he said.

Through that experience, said Falkowski, he grew curious about plankton and their larger contribution to the mechanics of the ocean.

"You realize how little you know about the world in which we live … and that's what attracted me to the ocean," he said. "I still am in that state of mind. Every professor is a student, and I am certainly so proud forever to have been a student for my life."

He said despite the phytoplanktons' short lifespan of roughly five days, they are the foundation of the ocean's food web.

In fact, small phytoplankton are eaten by larger zooplankton, which are then eaten by fish, penguins and whales, said Falkowski.

"The oceans (are) entirely controlled by plankton," he said. "The entire southern ocean ecosystem is based on the food production of plankton."

Even still, Falkowski said people must remain cautious in taking advantage of the nature of the planet, especially when these resources are under attack as a result of human actions.

He said supporting the notion of endless growth will lead to detrimental effects for generations to come.

"We can't grow forever," said Falkowski. "There's a limit to the amount of fish that you can take from the sea. There's a limit to the amount of crops that you can grow on land without destroying the environment … Perpetual growth is an illusion."

In releasing the manifesto, he said plankton, unlike humans, have already lived through changes of the climate.

Additionally, as the former director of the University's Energy Institute, he said students must be mindful of creating carbon footprints of their own. Even though it may be challenging to conceptualize, he said these footprints have long-term impacts.

"The phytoplankton have seen over the course of many hundreds of million of years many, many changes in Earth's climate (that) we have not," Falkowski said. "We're the fragile species, and phytoplankton will be there long, long, long after we as a human species are gone."

He said individuals may unknowingly engage in habits that have a negative effect on the environment, like sitting in an idle car before class or maintaining a diet that contains a large portion of meat.

To minimize the magnitude of their harmful emissions, he said students should look into alternatives that would better suit the needs of the environment.

"What can you do to reduce your footprint?" said Falkowski. "Think a little bit about what your future will be and what (the) future of your children will be."