Diversity, Equilibrium, and Adaptation as Related by Equivalence in the Oceanic Phytoplankton

From a transect between Brazil and Newfoundland in April 1983, a summary description of the phytoplankton species is that diversity decreases northward as conditions alter from equilibrium to nonequilibrium. These conditions do not increase the southern species adapted to impoverished nutrient but do increase species unadopted to impoverished nutrient. Diversity is related to equilibrium and adaptation in this way: (1) species belonging to a...