In
2005, the dinoflagellate
Akashiwo sanguinea
formed intense thin layers near the pycnocline at night, and
migrated to near surface waters at dawn. In 2006, layer composition was more complex, and related to
the water mass present at the time of sampling. Optically detected thin layers of phytoplankton can be
studied from the perspective of the impact their high biomass has on both ecological processes, and
ocean optics. But thin layers can also be studied from the species-specific perspective of each organism,
its role within the thin layer habitat, and the impact that life within a thin layer has on its life history
and ecology