Cell size, density, and nutrient dependency of unicellular algal gravitational sinking velocities.

Eukaryotic phytoplankton, also known as algae, form the basis of marine food webs and drive marine carbon sequestration. Algae must regulate their motility and gravitational sinking to balance access to light at the surface and nutrients in deeper layers. However, the regulation of gravitational sinking remains largely unknown, especially in motile species.