Variable light illuminates the distribution of picophytoplankton

Tiny photosynthetic plankton less than a millionth of a millimeter in diameter numerically dominate marine phytoplankton. Their photosynthesis uses light to drive carbon dioxide uptake, fueling the marine food web over vast areas of the oceans. A new study published in this week’s PLoS ONE by post-doctoral researcher Dr Christophe Six and a team of scientists from MountAllison University, Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada, illuminates how the environment regulates the distributions of these ecologically important species.