Prokaryote Numbers on Earth Open Ocean 1.2×1029(54%deep sea) Soil." 2,6×1029 Ocean subsurface 3.5×1030 (79%deep sea) Terrestrial.subsurface.25-2.5 x 1030 Whitman et al.(1998)PNAS 95:6578Open Ocean 1.2 x 1029 (54% deep sea) Soil 2.6 x 1029 Ocean subsurface 3.5 x 1030 (79% deep sea) Terrestrial subsurface .25-2.5 x 1030 Prokaryote Numbers on Earth Whitman et al. (1998) PNAS 95:6578