human
I'm a scuba diver. I want to know if the ozone hole is affecting the marine life in the ocean.
assistant
The effects of the ozone hole are still being studied, but some scientists believe that it has had an effect on the amount of phytoplankton in the ocean. Phytoplankton is a type of algae that forms the base of the ocean food web and provides food for many marine species. It's possible that the loss of the protective layer of ozone may have caused a decrease in the number of phytoplankton in the ocean.