Structure of the phytoplankton communities and primary production in the Ob River estuary and over the adjacent Kara Sea shelf

Abstract

The material was collected in the Ob River estuary and over the adjacent shallow Kara Sea shelf between 71°14′0 and 75°33′0N at the end of September 2007. Latitudinal zoning in the phytoplankton distribution was demonstrated; this zoning was determined by the changes in the salinity and concentration of nutrients. Characteristic of the phytocenosis in the southern desalinated zone composed of freshwater species of diatom and green algae were the high population density (1.5 × 106 cells/l), biomass (210 μgC/l), chlorophyll concentration (4.5 μg/l), and uniform distribution in the water column. High primary production (∼40 μgC/l/day) was recorded in the upper 1.5-m layer. The estuarine frontal zone located to the north contained a halocline at a depth of 3–5 m. Freshwater species with low population density (2.5 × 105 cells/l), biomass (24 μgC/l), and chlorophyll concentration (1.5 μg/l) dominated above the halocline. Marine diatom algae, dinoflagellates, and autotrophic flagellates formed a considerable part of the phytocenosis below the halocline; the community characteristics were twofold lower as compared with the upper layer. The maximal values of the primary production (∼10 μgC/l per day) were recorded in the upper 1.5-m layer. The phytocenosis in the seaward zone was formed by marine alga species and was considerably poorer as compared with the frontal zone. The assimilation numbers at the end of the vegetation season in the overall studied area were low, amounting to 0.4–1.0 μgC/μgChl/h in the upper layer and 0.03–0.1 μgC/μgChl/h under the pycnocline.