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The distribution, contribution to primary production and specific growth rates of the phycoerythrin-rich planktonic chroococcoid cyanobacteria Synechococcus spp. were studied in a transect along 70W in the Northwest Atlantic during April 1985. Large subsurface maxima were observed between 32"N and 26"N (3 to 15 April). Abundances of cyanobacteria increased nearly 10-fold at 35"N (3 to 5 April) over a 2 wk period. The largest concentrations of Synechococcus were observed north of the Subtropical Front in the Sargasso Sea (26"N). Primary production by Synechococcus varied between 3.4 and 11.8 fgC cell-' h-' with specific growth rates that ranged from 0.5 to 1.2 d-' as determined by epifluorescence track autoradiography. Their contribution to total primary production (as measured by differential filtration) ranged from 60 to 95 O/ O of the total.
Iturriaga et al. (Fri,) studied this question.