Chroococcoid cyanobacteria: a significant component in the food web dynamics of the open ocean

Abstract

New techniques used during a recent study in the oligotrophic North Pacific Ocean demonstrated that coccoid cyanobacteria were the most abundant photoautotrophs. Despite their small size, they accounted for 64% of the total photosynthesis, with specific growth rates of 1.6 d-1. Grazing experiments indicated that a diverse assemblage of micrograzers is able to consume and effectively metabolize chroococcoid cyanobacteria. In the open ocean, a significant trophic interaction occurs between cyanobacteria and micrograzers, components not included in the classical paradigm of the oceanic food web.