Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Science

Amazon River plume: Where microalgae go carnivorous to win

In the vast plume of the Amazon River, microscopic algae adopt a surprisingly flexible survival strategy: They combine photosynthesis with the uptake of organic matter. An international research team led by the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW) has now shown that this so-cal...

Amazon River plume: Where microalgae go carnivorous to win
Image: Phys.org
In the vast plume of the Amazon River, microscopic algae adopt a surprisingly flexible survival strategy: They combine photosynthesis with the uptake of organic matter. An international research team led by the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW) has now shown that this so-called mixotrophy becomes the dominant and most successful lifestyle in mature plume waters.

Originally published at Phys.org

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