Table 2.

Halving-times for each biological group

Biological groups	Logarithmic decay between species similarity and surface ocean transit time			Size range (mm)	Size mean (mm)	Sampling depth (m)	Habitat
	Slope (c)	S 0	HT (years)
Prokaryotes	−0.0232**	0.52	5094	0.0003–0.001	0.0005	0	E
Small heterotrophic flagellates	−0.0231**	0.34	56	0.0008–0.003	0.002	0	E
Green algae	−0.0222**	0.24	5	0.0008–0.003	0.0025	0	E
Fungi	−0.0194**	0.16	3	0.0008–0.003	0.003	0	E
Microbial eukaryotes all	−0.0102**	0.22	866	0.0008–0.003	0.002	0	E
Parasites	−0.0100**	0.22	802	0.0008–0.003	0.004	0	E
Cercozoa	−0.0121**	0.12	12.5	0.0008–0.003	0.005	0	E
Large flagellates	−0.0181**	0.39	1215	0.0008–0.003	0.006	0	E
Coccolithophores 0–160 m	−0.0341**	0.52	198	0.002–0.5	0.0142	0–160	E
Diatoms 0–160 m	−0.0275**	0.27	158	0.002–0.4	0.033	0–160	E
Diatoms surface	−0.0206**	0.17	1	0.002–0.4	0.033	0	E
Dinoflagellates 0–160 m	−0.0156**	0.35	7325	0.002–0.5	0.043	0–160	E
Dinoflagellates surface	−0.0046**	0.19	14,931,726	0.008–0.003	0.043	0	E
Mesozooplankton 0–200 m	−0.0135**	0.16	18	0.3–5	2.65	0–200	E
Gelatinous zooplankton	−0.0336**	0.38	15.5	>5	5	0	N
Macrozooplankton	−0.0657**	0.55	2	4–15	5.41	0	N
Myctophids	−0.0807**	0.47	1	20–110	35	0	M&N

Halving-times derived from species similarity and surface ocean transit times with logarithmic decay models. The logarithmic decay model shows the community similarity decline (slope) with the logarithm of surface ocean transit time

HT Halving-time, N neustonic, E epipelagic, M mesopelagic, S_o initial similarity

**p-value <0.01