Quasi-Antiphase Diel Patterns of Abundance and Cell Size/Biomass of Picophytoplankton in the Oligotrophic Ocean

Picophytoplankton are the smallest, most abundant photosynthetic organisms in the ocean. Knowledge of the diel variability of these tiny microbes has important implications for the structure of microbial food webs and key biogeochemical processes. However, insight into the mechanisms that underlie picophytoplanktonic diel dynamics is limited. By combining a field survey with a published dataset, we found that cell numbers and cell sizes/biomasses of picophytoplankton were tightly synchronized to the day-night cycle, but they were in a quasi-antiphase relationship to each other. This pattern is a confirmation and extension of previous studies. Mortality rates showed that Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus were subject to considerable grazing pressure throughout the day and night. The quasi-antiphase diel cycles in abundance and cell size/biomass are likely determined by the light-dependent diel behavior of cell growth and division and continuous losses to grazing. This work significantly improves our understanding of autotrophic picoplankton in the oligotrophic ocean.

Automated summary

Picophytoplankton, the smallest and most abundant photosynthetic organisms in the ocean, exhibit synchronized diel cycles in cell numbers and cell sizes/biomasses, which are in a quasi-antiphase relationship. The mortality rates indicate significant grazing pressure on Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus throughout the day and night. This study enhances our understanding of autotrophic picoplankton in the oligotrophic ocean.