Annual cycle of the planktonic phytocenosis in the Ob-Enisei shallow zone of the Kara Sea

Abstract

This paper analyzes data on the state of the pelagic microalgae community of the Kara Sea for all hydrological seasons. The data were obtained during complex in situ observations in 1996–2006. Four phases in the annual succession cycle of the phytoplankton of the nearshore continental area of the Kara Sea were identified: a prevernal phase (cryoflora bloom), vernal phase (ice-edge bloom), summer-fall phase (mixed synthesis phase), and winter phase (dormant phase). These periods are clearly distinguished from each other in their composition of dominating species complexes and quantitative characteristics, i.e., the numbers and biomasses of microalgae. In the investigated region, which is completely covered by ice during most of the year, the primary production processes begin at the same time as in ice-free coastal areas. Growth and blooming of cryoflora occur under the ice cover long before it breaks down. The peak development of the pelagic microalgae community, which is comparable to the spring peak of microalgae in ice-free coastal areas, is observed in the summer, when freshwater runoff from large rivers increases sharply.