Phytoplankton requires light for photosynthesis, but most phytoplankton species are heavier than water and sink. How can these sinking species persist? Here we show, by means of an advection-di usion-reaction equation of light-limited phytoplankton, that the answer lies in the turbulent motion of water that re-disperses phytoplankton over the vertical water column. More speci cally, we show tha...