High-resolution phytoplankton diel variations in the summer stratified central Yellow Sea

Abstract

Vertical distributions of phytoplankton biomass and community structure were studied in the summer stratified central Yellow Sea (YS) using a submersible spectrofluorometer (Fluoroprobe, bbe Moldaenke, Germany), along with photosynthetic pigments analysis (HPLC-CHEMTAX), and microscope observation. Above all, the results of the dominating group obtained from these methods generally coincided with each other on the transect 35°N. The concentrations of brown algae, green algae and total chlorophyll a (Chl a) biomass were highly correlated between the results of Fluoroprobe observations and pigments analysis (r = 0.79, 0.91 and 0.82, respectively, n = 54, p < 0.01). In the summer stratified central YS, significant differences in phytoplankton compositions on the vertical distribution was observed. On the basis of HPLC-CHEMTAX results, the dominating group of phytoplankton composition generally changed from cyanobacteria to chrysophytes and then to diatoms, from surface to bottom. Interestingly, on the basis of high-resolution observations using Fluoroprobe, a periodic fluctuation of the pycnocline presumably due to the semidiurnal internal tides was observed at an anchor station (35°N, 123°E). In addition, both nutrients and Chl a concentrations at the depth of the subsurface chlorophyll maximum (SCM) seemed to coincide with the rhythm of the pycnocline fluctuation, indicating the latter might have a potential impact on the dynamics of SCM phenomena in the summer stratified central YS.