Production and biomass accumulation of periphytic diatoms growing on glass slides during a 1-year cycle in a subtropical estuarine environment (Bay of Paranaguá, southern Brazil)

Abstract

Production rates, chlorophyll concentrations and general composition of periphytic diatom communities growing on glass slides were studied in relation to environmental parameters during one seasonal cycle in the Bay of Paranagua, southern Brazil. Slides were routinely submersed at 1, 2 and 3 m depth and recovered weekly for microscopic examinations, analyses of chlorophyll, cell counts and in situ photosynthetic incubations using the Winkler titration method. Water samples were also collected at surface and bottom layers for determinations of temperature, salinity, nutrients and chlorophyll in the water. The periphytic community was mainly formed by epipelic and epipsammic species, dominated by Navicula phyllepta, Cylindrotheca closterium, Navicula spp. and Amphora sp. Weekly chlorophyll a and cell accumulations on slides varied from <1–32 mg m−2 and up to 31 × 108 cells m−2, respectively. Photosynthetic rates varied from <1 to 35 mg oxygen mg chlorophyll a −1 h−1, with higher values in summer. Daily production varied from 5 to 3,600 mg oxygen m−2 day−1 (<0.01–1.4 g carbon m−2 day−1). Multiple regression analysis revealed that vertical differences in light conditions and grazing pressure jointly affected the influence of temperature on the seasonal patterns of cell densities and chlorophyll concentrations according to depth.