Once buried in sea sediments, the carbon is out of the system for thousands of years. Reality may be a good deal more complicated than this, however, the researchers say. For one thing, there may not be enough salps to make much of difference in terms of large scale climatic effects. For another, too much of a good thing can be lethal to salps. When the phytoplankton get too dense, a condition that might be more frequent as CO 2 levels rise, the salps' digestive systems become clogged.
Salps literally starve to death because they are in the midst of plenty.
It will take much more research to determine how this ecosystem will respond to and affect rising CO 2 levels and water temperature and how much of an effect can be expected. Stay tuned for new developments.