Phytoplankton form the base of the ocean's food chains transferring energy fromthe sun to sustain the global ocean. These tiny floating plants account for half ofthe photosynthetic activity on Earth. They also generate the majority of our fossilfuels. Cassandra Brooks interviews Ivano Aiello, a geological oceanographer at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, about how we burn ancient life to power our civilization and some of the issues that result from fossil fuel pollution.