Phytoplankton

Phytoplankton are microscopic plant-like organisms that dominate photosynthetic primary production in the ocean (1). Phylogenetically, phytoplankton comprises both bacterial groups such as the cyanobacteria Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus, and unicellular eukaryotic groups. Operationally, modelers differentiate between picophytoplankton, which dominates oligotrophic regions, and microphytoplankton, which is more abundant in nutrient-rich areas like upwelling regions and the polar oceans.

References

1. Falkowski, P. Ocean Science: The power of plankton. Nature 483, S17–S20 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/483S17a
2. Liu, X., Levine, N. M. Ecosystem implications of fine-scale frontal disturbances in the oligotrophic ocean – An idealized modeling approach. Progress in Oceanography 192 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2021.102519