Imaging Technologies Build Capacity and Accessibility in Phytoplankton Species Identification Expertise for Research and Monitoring: Lessons Learned During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

As primary producers, phytoplankton play an integral role in global biogeochemical cycles through their production of oxygen and fixation of carbon. They also provide significant ecosystem services, by supporting secondary production and fisheries. Phytoplankton biomass and diversity have been identified by the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) as Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs), properties that need to be monitored to better understand and predict the ocean system.