Picophytoplankton: A major contributor to planktonic biomass and primary production in a eutrophic, river-dominated estuary

Abstract

Biomass and primary productivity of picophytoplankton (PP; phytoplankton <3 μm) and larger phytoplankton (>3 μm) were determined during an annual cycle along the salinity gradient in North Carolina’s Neuse River Estuary (NRE), a eutrophic, microtidal estuary. The PP were a major component of total phytoplankton biomass and productivity, contributing ∼35–44% of the total chlorophyll a (Chl a) and 42–55% of the total primary productivity. Chl a and productivity of PP decreased from the upper to lower estuary, although the PP contribution relative to larger phytoplankton remained nearly constant. Significant PP growth occurred in the spring, but PP productivity and biomass were maximal in summer. PP productivity and biomass were positively correlated with temperature and dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations, which were maximal in summer due to release from sediments. Biomass and productivity of PP and >3 μm phytoplankton were also positively correlated, suggesting that growth conditions favoring the onset of blooms of larger phytoplankton species will similarly affect PP. High PP productivity and biomass in the NRE support the notion that PP play an important role in the production and eutrophication potentials of this estuary. High PP productivity and biomass have been noted in several other temperate estuaries, all sharing a common feature with the NRE—long residence time. These findings challenge the assumption that PP relative importance should be minimal in eutrophic systems.