Crocosphaera watsonii
Species of bacterium / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Crocosphaera watsonii (strain WH8501) is an isolate of a species of unicellular (2.5-6 µm diameter) diazotrophic marine cyanobacteria which represent less than 0.1% of the marine microbial population.[1] They thrive in offshore, open-ocean oligotrophic regions where the waters are warmer than 24 degrees Celsius.[2] Crocosphaera watsonii cell density can exceed 1,000 cells per milliliter within the euphotic zone; however, their growth may be limited by the concentration of phosphorus.[3][4] Crocosphaera watsonii are able to contribute to the oceanic carbon and nitrogen budgets in tropical oceans due to their size, abundance, and rapid growth rate.[3] Crocosphaera watsonii are unicellular nitrogen fixers that fix atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia during the night and contribute to new nitrogen in the oceans.[5] They are a major source of nitrogen to open-ocean systems.[6] Nitrogen fixation is important in the oceans as it not only allows phytoplankton to continue growing when nitrogen and ammonium are in very low supply but it also replenishes other forms of nitrogen, thus fertilizing the ocean and allowing more phytoplankton growth.[6]
Crocosphaera watsonii | |
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Crocosphaera (automated identification of singlet and doublet cells) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Bacteria |
Phylum: | Cyanobacteria |
Class: | Cyanophyceae |
Order: | Chroococcales |
Family: | Aphanothecaceae |
Genus: | Crocosphaera |
Species: | C. watsonii |
Binomial name | |
Crocosphaera watsonii Zehr et al. 2019 | |