Effects of ambient nutrient ratios on plankton

The previous section considered the composition of plankters and their ability to assimilate nutrients in theory and in single-species populations growing under controlled conditions. The present section considers the extent to which the hypotheses of Section 9.3 are supported by data for real plankton, made up of different species growing under complex and varying conditions. 

Proteobacteria (A), H + 10 1 wide range of biogeochemical abilities H are saprotrophs 

Cyanobacteria - chain-forming A (50) - 1 +++ N-fixation, some toxicity, buoyancy-driven vertical movement may exploit P gradients 

Cyanobacteria - picoplanktonic, phycobiliprotein A 50 - 1 ++ small size, good nutrient uptake 

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