The dynamic mesoscale sink and source niches for eukaryotic phytoplankton in a subtropical gyre

What is it about?

Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms at the base of the food chain and perform roughly half of the photosynthetic activity on Earth. The surface ocean of the mid-latitudes receives sufficient sunlight but, on average, has low nutrient concentrations, limiting phytoplankton growth. This marine desert is dominated by small-celled organisms adapted to survive under these constraints. In lower numbers, a highly diverse group of phytoplankton also coexists, but is not expected to thrive here. Uniquely combining DNA samples and tracing the history of water transport, this study suggests that environmental fluctuations driven by temporary lateral and vertical current structures support the diverse phytoplankton communities. In the rare case where waters experience minimal mixing or exchange with their surroundings, the population diversity steadily decreases.

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Photo by Ivan Bandura on Unsplash

Photo by Ivan Bandura on Unsplash