Abstract
Against a background of controversy concerning the absolute magnitude of biological productivity in the oligotrophic, tropical ocean1–4, evidence is accumulating for the existence there of a population of minute, unicellular organisms collectively known as picoplankton5,6. In the tropical Pacific, it has been estimated recently7 that cells passing a 1-µm screen (picoplankton) make a very substantial contribution to the rate of turnover of phytoplankton biomass. On the other hand, previous work in the tropical Atlantic8 led to the conclusion that particles in the size class ≲3 µm are fragments of larger cells and metabolically inert. We present here the first data on the photosynthetic characteristics of picoplankton collected at sea. This new evidence from the tropical North Atlantic supports the argument that the picoplankton contains a significant, metabolically-active, autotrophic component, capable of supplying about 60% of the total primary production hi an open-ocean ecosystem.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Eppley, R. W. & Peterson, B. J. Nature 282, 677–680 (1979).
Shulenberger, E. & Reid, J. L. Deep-Sea Res. 28 A, 901–919 (1981).
Platt, T., Lewis, M. & Geider, R. in Flows of Energy and Materials in Marine Ecosystems: Theory and Practice (ed. Fasham, M. J.) (Plenum, London, in the press).
Jenkins, W. J. Nature 300, 246–248 (1982).
Johnson, P. W. & Sieburth, J. McN. Limnol. Oceanogr. 24, 928–935 (1979).
Waterbury, J. B., Watson, S. W., Guillard, R. R. & Brand, L. E. Nature 277, 293–294 (1979).
Li, W. K. W. et al. Science 219, 292–295 (1983).
Herbland, A. & LeBouteiller, A. J. Plankton Res. 3, 659–673 (1981).
Platt, T., Gallegos, C. L. & Harrison, W. G. J. mar. Res. 38, 687–701 (1980).
Guillard, R. R. L. & Ryther, J. H. Can. J. Microbiol. 8, 229–239 (1962).
Jassby, A. D. & Platt, T. Limnol. Oceanogr. 21, 540–547 (1976).
Platt, T. & Jassby, A. D. J. Phycol. 12, 421–430 (1976).
Platt, T., Denman, K. L. & Jassby, A. D. in The Sea: Ideas and Observations on Progress in the Study of the Seas Vol. VI (ed. Goldberg, E. D.) 807–856 (Wiley, New York, 1977).
Platt, T. & Gallegos, C. L. in Primary Productivity in the Sea (ed. Falkowski, P.) 339–362(Plenum, New York, 1980).
Gallegos, C. L. & Platt, T. Can. Bull. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. No 210, 103–112 (1981).
Talling, J. F. The New Phytol. 56, 133–149 (1957).
Morris, I. & Glover, H. Limnol. Oceanogr. 26, 957–961 (1981).
Platt, T. & Silvert, W. J. theor. Biol. 93, 855–860 (1982).
Morel, A. & Bricaud, A. Deep-Sea Res. 28, 1375–1393 (1981).
Gieskes, W. W. C., Kraay, G. W. & Tijssen, S. B. Neth. J. Sea Res. 12, 195–204 (1978).
Cullen, J. J. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 39, 791–803 (1982).
Platt, T. & Denman, K. Helgolander wiss. Meeresunters 30, 575–581 (1977).
Platt, T. & Denman, K. Rapp. P.-v. Réun. Cons. perm. int. Explor. Mer 173, 60–65 (1978).
Margalef, R. Persepectives in Ecological Theory (University of Chicago Press, 1968).
Odum, E. P. Science 164, 262–270 (1969).
Platt, T. & Subba Rao, D. V. Nature 227, 1059–1060 (1970).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Platt, T., Rao, D. & Irwin, B. Photosynthesis of picoplankton in the oligotrophic ocean. Nature 301, 702–704 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/301702a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/301702a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.