Mr Tirreno, the float adopted by the Pio X Artigianelli School in Italy, has detected in the center of the Tyrrhenian Sea two maxima of chlorophyll! The first one is at about 60 m of depth. The second one is smaller and is located at about 200 m…so it is very deep!

What kind of phytoplankton can grow at 200 m of depth where a very few light is available?

It is very likely Prochlorococcus!

Prochlorococcus is the smallest phytoplankton cell in the whole ocean and is able to adapt at very different conditions of growth. Sometimes it can be found also at the surface of the ocean!

Mr. Tirreno has detected Prochlorococcus only at the last 2 stations……let’s follow this float for discovering how Prochlorococcus is distributed in this sea!