Every other breath you take owes something to tiny ocean algae powered by a surprisingly scarce ingredient: iron. Credit: Shutterstock The next time you take a breath, it is worth remembering that much of that oxygen can be traced back to microscopic ocean algae. Their ability to produce oxygen through photosynthesis is supported by iron dust that settles into the sea. A new study from Rutgers University, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offers a clearer picture