Take a deep breath: the air you're breathing probably came from ocean scum

When you take a deep breath, you may think of the fresh flowers, majestic trees, and maybe those factories down the road, depending on where you live. Turns out, that flora you love so much isn't doing the backbreaking work of supplying you with precious, necessary oxygen. You can thank phytoplankton for that.

That green, scum-like stuff you find in water supplies about half of the Earth's supply of oxygen that is produced by plant life. Phytoplankton rely on photosynthesis for energy, taking in the sunlight on the surface of water and creating organic compounds from carbon dioxide that is dissolved in the water.

Studies have shown that phytoplankton is disappearing at about 1% every year. The main culprit is thought to be ocean warming thanks to the changing climates. This is alarming, not only for the fact that we enjoy breathing, but because phytoplankton are at the base of the aquatic food web and are essential for other aquatic life forms to eat. Next time you're watching Spongebob Squaredpants, maybe give a little sympathy to the guy just trying to get a Krabby Patty.

(Source)