Warm-core rings that break from the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic, like eddies from the Loop Current in the gulf, also show seasonal influences. Groups of coccolithophore species are associated with certain environments in the world's oceans. The broader outlines of the relationships between phytoplankton species and environment are beginning to emerge. Although phytoplankton occupy three times the earth's surface that land plants do, we know far less about these important residents of the oceans. We cannot yet anticipate how environmental change might affect species living in the oceans and ultimately world climates and food stocks.
Investigation is likely to hold as many surprises in the future as it has in the past.