Phytoplankton pigments, functional types, and absorption properties in the Delagoa and Natal Bights of the Agulhas ecosystem

Abstract

An investigation of pigments, phytoplankton types and absorption characteristics was conducted in the Delagoa and Natal Bights during late winter and spring in the southwest Indian Ocean. The study demonstrated that small flagellates dominated the phytoplankton communities in both bights and were ubiquitous across a temperature range of 18–24 °C. Diatoms were dominant in patches of cool water (<22 °C) related to upwelling processes and were associated with elevated levels of phytoplankton biomass, while prokaryotes were observed to increase in warm waters >22 °C. Absorption coefficients varied closely with variations in chlorophyll a and specific coefficients were lower for diatoms compared to flagellates. Chlorophyll-specific coefficients also provided useful information on the level of pigment packaging and were related to the proportion of chlorophylls and carotenoids in the pigment pool.