Changes in phytoplankton size-structure with warming in the temperate North Atlantic

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In the context of strong warming trends in the world oceans, we have lacked theoretical explanations for the macroecological relationships between phytoplankton total abundance, size-structure and temperature. Picophytoplankton - Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae smaller than 2 µm in equivalent spherical diameter- were long considered to be major contributors to photosynthetic carbon fixation only in oligotrophic regions.