| Summary: | Picoeukaryotes are an important, diverse and spatially variable component of marine microbial communities. However, little is known of their distribution in response to environmental heterogeneity. In this study, to understand the Nordic Seas picoeukaryotic community, eleven surface samples from different water bodies were collected in June 2015. Archaeplastida, mainly Prasinophyceae, was present in all samples and was the largest component in cold waters, while Rhizaria and Alveoata were most abundant in the samples influenced by warm waters. Multivariate analyses showed that samples could be discriminated into groupings, each with its specific dominant species and community structure could precisely reflect the environmental heterogeneity caused by different water masses. This study details the relationships between the picoeukaryotes and complex currents in the Nordic Seas, and provides insight for application of using picoeukaryotes as indicator in future bioassessment for arctic or boreal waters.
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