Prochlorophyta is a group of photosynthetic
bacteria, an important component of
picoplankton. These oligotrophic organisms are abundant in nutrient poor tropical waters and use a unique photosynthetic pigment, divinyl-chlorophyll, to absorb light and acquire energy. Prochlorophyta lack red and blue
phycobilin pigments and have stacked thylakoids, making them distinctly different from
Cyanobacteria (or Cyanophyta), but some authors consider them as part of the Cyanobacteria, as the group
Prochlorales.
