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ABSTRACT Temperature has a primary influence on phytoplankton physiology and ecology. We grew 12 strains ofGephyrocapsa huxleyiisolated from different‐temperature regions for ~45 generations (2 months) and characterised acclimated thermal response curves across a temperature range. Even with similar temperature optima and overlapping cell size, strain growth rates varied between 0.45 and 1 day⁻¹. Thermal niche widths varied from 16.7°C to 24.8°C, suggesting that strains use distinct thermal response mechanisms. We investigated the implications of this thermal intraspecific diversity using an ocean ecosystem simulation resolving phytoplankton thermal phenotypes. Model analogues of thermal ‘generalists’ and ‘specialists’ resulted in a distinctive global biogeography of thermal niche widths with a nonlinear latitudinal pattern. We leveraged model output to predict ranges of the 12 lab‐reared strains and demonstrated how this approach could broadly refine geographic range predictions. Our combination of observations and modelled biogeography highlights the capacity of diverse groups to survive temperature shifts. 

Summary Emiliania huxleyiis a calcifying haptophyte, contributing to both the organic and inorganic marine carbon cycles. In marine ecosystems, light is a major driver of phytoplankton physiology and ultimately carbon flow through the ecosystem. Here, we analysed a Lagrangian time‐series of metatranscriptomes collected in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) to examine howin situpopulations ofE.huxleyimodulate gene expression over day–night transitions. ManyE.huxleyicontigs had a diel expression pattern, with 61% of contigs clustering into modules with statistically significant diel periodicity. Contigs involved in processes that build up energy stores, like carbon fixation and lipid synthesis, peaked around dawn. In contrast, contigs involved in processes that released energy stores, like respiration and lipid degradation, peaked mid‐day and towards dusk. These patterns suggest an orchestrated cycle of building, then consuming energy stores inE.huxleyipopulations in the NPSG. Selected contigs related to the cell cycle also exhibited significant diel periodicity consistent with phased modulations of division observed in culture. Overall, these patterns of gene expression suggest a daily metabolic cascade that could contribute to both organic and inorganic carbon flow in this nutrient depleted ecosystem.