Abstract
Seasonal variations in diversity and biomass of tintinnids (Ciliophora: Tintinnida) were investigated at two fixed stations in the inner part of the Bahia Blanca Estuary (38°42' S, 61° 50' W) during an annual cycle. The variations were analysed in relation to surface temperature, salinity, transparency, solar radiation and chlorophyll a (Chl a)concentration. Biomass was calculated in terms of biovolume and carbon units. Diversity was estimated as the number of species and the Shannon Index (If, In based). Density of tintinnids ranged from 100 to 7800 individuals L - 1 H ranged from 0 to 1.81. The biomass varied from 0.3 to 127.78 x 10 6 μm 3 L - 1 (0.02-39.4 μg C L - 1 ). Density was significantly related to temperature, solar radiation and Secchi distance (P < 0.01); diversity was significantly related to temperature (P < 0.01) and solar radiation (P < 0.05). Biomass was significantly related only to temperature (P < 0.01) in one of the stations. According to principal components analysis (PCA) tintinnids exhibited a segregation of three groups: winter, spring-summer and autumn for the most internal station and winter, spring and summer-autumn for the most external station. H' values were lower than those observed in other coastal systems found at about the same latitude in the northern hemisphere.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
