Declines in phytoplankton cell size in the subtropical oceans estimated from satellite remotely-sensed temperature and chlorophyll, 1998–2007

Satellite remotely-sensed sea surface temperature (SST) and surface chlorophyll were used to estimate median phytoplankton cell size at monthly and 11 km2 resolution over the global ocean, 1998–2007. The temporal dynamics of median phytoplankton cell size were examined for the Pacific equatorial upwelling region and the subtropical oceans. For the equatorial upwelling region, cell size varied coherently with the El Niño Southern Oscillation with...