Co-culture with Synechococcus facilitates growth of Prochlorococcus under ocean acidification conditions.

Anthropogenic CO emissions are projected to lower the pH of the ocean 0.3 units by 2100. Previous studies suggested that Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus, the numerically dominant phytoplankton in the oceans, have different responses to elevated CO that may result in a dramatic shift in their relative abundances in future oceans.