The marine prochlorophyte Prochlorococcus contributes significantly to phytoplankton biomass and primary production in the Sargasso Sea

The newly-discovered prochlorophyte Prochlorococcus marinus is often numerically dominant in the euphotic zone of the tropical and subtropical ocean; however, its contribution to phytoplankton biomass and primary production is largely unknown. Using its unique pigment divinyl-chlorophyll a (Chl a 2) as a chemosystematic marker, we show that Prochlorococcus is present at a station in the Sargasso Sea throughout most of the year. Whereas it is only found at depth during the early summer, it can be found throughout the euphotic zone during the rest of the year. Averaged over the year Prochlorococcus pigment-biomass constitutes about 30% of the total. Its growth rate, estimated from the incorporation of 14C into Chl a 2 ranged from values of 0.3 day −1 in the surface layer to values less than 0.1 day −1 at the bottom of the euphotic zone. Averaged over the seasons, approximately 25% of the total productivity was due to Prochlorococcus. Prochlorococcus clearly is an important component of the ecosystem in the Sargasso Sea, and perhaps the world ocean.