Plankton: Cloudmakers

Wired brings news of a newly released NASA study showing that plankton can create clouds to protect themselves from UV rays.
> “A recent study funded by NASA’s Earth Science Department shows that the tiny sea plants release high quantities of cloud-forming compounds on days when the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays are especially strong. The compounds evaporate into the air through a series of chemical processes that result in especially reflective clouds. This, in turn, blocks the radiation from bothering the phytoplankton.”

Talk about an amazing discovery!