In the mesopelagic and bathypelagic layers, only nanoplankton predation on heterotrophic prokaryotes was investigated.
Luca Zoccarato, Anna Malusà, Serena Fonda Umani 2016, 'Major contribution of prokaryotes to carbon fluxes in the pelagic microbial food websof the Mediterranean Sea', Advances in Oceanography and Limnologyhttp://pagepressjournals.org/index.php/aiol/article/view/5799. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Pico-sized plankton was found to be heterotrophic whereas nanoplankton was autotrophic.
A. GIANNAKOUROU, A. TSIOLA, M. KANELLOPOULOU, I. MAGIOPOULOS, I. SIOKOU, P. PITTA 2014, 'Temporal variability of the microbial food web (viruses to ciliates) under the influenceof the Black Sea Water inflow (N. Aegean, E. Mediterranean)', Mediterranean Marine Sciencehttps://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/hcmr-med-mar-sc/article/view/12885. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
The source of calcite for nodules was calcareous nanoplankton or bivalve shells.
V.G. Eder, E.A. Kostyreva, A.Yu. Yurchenko, N.S. Balushkina, I.S. Sotnich, E.V. Kozlova,A.G. Zamiraylova, N.I. Savchenko 2019, 'New data on lithology, organic geochemistry and accumulation conditions of the Bazhenovformation in Western Siberia', Georesursyhttps://geors.ru/archive/article/977/. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
The size detection of microplankton and picoplankton was generally better than that of nanoplankton.
Shuibo Hu, Wen Zhou, Guifen Wang, Wenxi Cao, Zhantang Xu, Huizeng Liu, Guofeng Wu,Wenjing Zhao 2018, 'Comparison of Satellite-Derived Phytoplankton Size Classes Using In-Situ Measurementsin the South China Sea', Remote Sensinghttp://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/10/4/526. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Cyanobacteria were the most abundant population in the pico- and nanoplankton size-class.
Michel Denis, Valérie Martin, Valérie Andersen 2000, 'Short-term variations of the vertical distribution of cyanobacteria in the open MediterraneanSea', Scientia Marinahttp://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/752. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
In terms of biomass, the protist community was dominated by nanoplankton (2–20 μm), in particular dinoflagellates and ciliates.
Haakon Hop, Haakon Hop, Philipp Assmy, Anette Wold, Arild Sundfjord, Malin Daase,Pedro Duarte, Slawomir Kwasniewski, Marta Gluchowska, Józef M. Wiktor, Agnieszka Tatarek,Józef Wiktor, Svein Kristiansen, Agneta Fransson, Melissa Chierici, Melissa Chierici,Mikko Vihtakari, Mikko Vihtakari 2019, 'Pelagic Ecosystem Characteristics Across the Atlantic Water Boundary Current FromRijpfjorden, Svalbard, to the Arctic Ocean During Summer (2010–2014)', Frontiers in Marine Sciencehttps://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2019.00181/full. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
The microzooplankton mostly feed on prokaryotes, directly or indirectly (through nanoplankton exploitation),rather than on microalgae.
Luca Zoccarato, Anna Malusà, Serena Fonda Umani 2016, 'Major contribution of prokaryotes to carbon fluxes in the pelagic microbial food websof the Mediterranean Sea', Advances in Oceanography and Limnologyhttp://pagepressjournals.org/index.php/aiol/article/view/5799. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)