Total Phytoplankton Abundance Research Articles

Spatial Distribution Patterns of Phytoplankton and Their Relationship with Environmental Factors in the Jinjiang River, China

Our study aims to investigate the water quality and distribution patterns of phytoplankton communities in the Jinjiang River Basin in Quanzhou, as well as their relationship with environmental factors. We integrated data from the national water quality databases of the two main tributaries of the West and East Jinjiang Rivers between 2020 and 2023, supplemented by field surveys. Redundancy analysis was used to explore the effect of environmental factors on phytoplankton communities. Our findings revealed that the West Jinjiang River experienced a significant influence from excessive fertilizer use in tea cultivation, leading to an increase in TN concentrations compared to the East Jinjiang River. The abundance of phytoplankton in the Jinjiang River Basin was 105 cells·L−1, with phytoplankton being dominated by Chlorophyta, Cyanphyta, and diatoms, accounting for an average of 50%, 20%, and 19% of the total phytoplankton abundance, respectively. Redundancy analysis indicated that temperature, pH, and nutrient concentrations were important factors influencing the phytoplankton communities. With increasing temperature and nutrients concentrations, the abundance of Chlorophyta and Dinophyta significantly increased. This study provides a solid foundation for the regular “health diagnosis” of crucial rivers and lakes in Quanzhou and supports the establishment of a health guarantee system for rivers and lakes.

Use of mesocosm and field studies to assess the effects of nutrient levels on phytoplankton population dynamics in Korean coastal waters

We integrated data from field observations during April and March with data from a 2-week mesocosm experiment to investigate changes in phytoplankton populations in southern Korean coastal waters (KCWs) following nutrient enrichment during early spring of 2021. The mesocosm experiments used 1000 L cylindrical plastic containers that had natural seawater (control), a low nutrient (LN) treatment, or a high nutrient (HN) treatment. The field observations showed that increased freshwater runoff following spring rainfall led to elevated levels of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and silicate and a significant increase in total phytoplankton abundance. In March, nutrient enrichment from water mixing and terrestrial runoff led to dominance of cryptophyte Cryptomonas spp. In April, higher nutrient levels than March (p< 0.05) resulting from increased terrestrial runoff after rainfall and dominant species were Skeletonema spp., and Cryptomonas spp. In the mesocosm experiment, a succession from E. zodiacus initially to Chaetoceros spp. in the middle stage, and then to Cylindrotheca closterium and Pseudo-nitzschia spp. finally was observed, depending on the species-specific nutrient availability after nutrient addition. In principal component analysis, the negative correlation between C. closterium and nutrient levels supports their nutrient availability, which is an adaptation to low-nutrient conditions. The combined data from the field observations and mesocosm experiments indicated that nutrient supplementation from terrestrial runoff and tidal mixing played a crucial role in determining the dynamics of phytoplankton populations during early spring in the KCWs.

The study of phytoplankton in the Banggai Deep Sea: The study case of Banggai Upwelling Dynamics and Ecosystem Experiment (BUDEE)

The upwelling process in the Banggai deep-sea water occurs yearly during the east monsoon. The upwelling process is characterized by low surface water temperatures compared to the surrounding waters, high nutrient values of phosphate, nitrate, and silicate, and high values of primary productivity. The aim of this research was to determine the types of phytoplankton that are abundant in the Banggai deep-sea waters during the upwelling process. Phytoplankton sampling was conducted at 36 stations using a phytoplankton net from a depth of 150 m to the water surface. The mesh size of the phytoplankton net was 80 µm with a net length of 100 cm. Phytoplankton samples were preserved using 4% formalin. Based on the research results, the highest total abundance of phytoplankton was found at station 13 (315.457 cells.m-3), followed by stations 20 (234.746 cells.m-3), 26 (213.865 cells.m-3), station 14 (202.371 cells.m-3), station 18 (196.983 cells.m-3) and station 46 (187397 cells.m-3). Meanwhile, the other stations had an abundance of <150,000 cells/m3. The highest abundance at station 13 was dominated by the genera Bellerochea (64.068 cells.m-3), Chaetoceros (42.407 cells.m-3) and Nitzschia (35.390 cells.m-3). The high abundance of phytoplankton at Station 13 was due to upwelling.

Algae–zooplankton relationships during the year-round cyanobacterial blooms in a shallow lake

Cyanobacterial blooms have a strong impact on the food web structure, interactions and ecosystem functioning. The aim of this study was to describe the seasonal changes in composition and abundance of heterotrophic nanoflagellates, ciliates, rotifers, and crustaceans in relation to algae and nutrients in a shallow eutrophic lake (north-eastern Poland) dominated by cyanobacteria and exposed to the strong impact of cormorants. Our results showed that algae accounted for a small part of the total phytoplankton abundance (9–40%) and biomass (10–21%) and were dominated by diatoms and cryptophytes. All of the studied groups of planktonic organisms were quite rich in species (95 algal, 79 ciliate, 44 rotifer and 25 crustacean species) and relatively abundant. Copepods formed a substantial part (45–83%) of the total zooplankton biomass during all seasons. Relatively low algal to zooplankton biomass ratio (0.8–1.1) suggests that during spring, summer, and winter algae were not sufficient food resources for metazooplankton, which supplemented its diet with protists (heterotrophic nanoflagellates and ciliates). In a shallow lake dominated by cyanobacteria, winter (ice-covered period) may be a more favourable period for the growth of some groups of algae, ciliates and rotifers than other seasons due to decreasing abundance of cyanobacteria.

Seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton in the northern part of Suez Gulf, Egypt

This study was conducted to evaluate the seasonal variability of phytoplankton in the northern part of the Gulf of Suez (Suez Bay), considering the contribution of physicochemical parameters of bay water in shaping the dynamics, and eutrophication assessment. Water and phytoplankton samples were collected seasonally at nine stations in the Suez Bay during the period from the winter to autumn of 2012. A total of 423 phytoplankton species were identified, comprised mainly of 224 diatoms, 127 dinoflagellates, 33 cyanophytes, 20 chlorophytes, and 9 euglenophytes; the rest of the species (10 species) belong to other six groups. Of these, 28 species were potentially harmful. The total phytoplankton abundance exhibits a significant seasonal variation, with the autumn being the most fertile season, followed by the winter due to the proliferation of diatom species Thalassionema nitzschioides and Proboscia alata f. gracillima, respectively. While the seasonal species richness indicates that the winter attained the highest number of species, followed by summer. Generally, the major diatom genera were Chaetoceros (16 species), Navicula (15 species), Nitzschia (15 species), and Amphora (14 species), while dinoflagellates were principally composed of the genera Protoperidinium (34 species), and Tripos (26 species). Water temperature, pH, salinity, nitrate, and nitrite were the most important explanatory parameters in regard to phytoplankton abundance and chlorophyll a concentration. In addition, the phytoplankton stability exhibited a significant positive relationship with the mean values of dissolved oxygen and biological oxygen demand and the variability of salinity and phosphate, while a negative relationship was observed with ammonia and nitrite and the variability of nitrate. Based on the trophic index (TRIX), the bay water was classified as mesotrophic (moderately polluted) for almost the entire year except in the autumn as it turned eutrophic. The results explored the potential importance of the environmental heterogeneity in the bay as a key structuring mechanism of phytoplankton abundance and biomass, influenced by anthropogenic activities.

Community structure of plankton in Whiteleg Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931), pond ecosystem

Abstract. Inayah ZN, Musa M, Arfiati D, Pratiwi RK. 2023. Community structure of plankton in Whiteleg Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931), pond ecosystem. Biodiversitas 24: 4008-4016. Plankton in shrimp farming can be used to maintain the balance of the pond ecosystem. The purpose of this study is to analyze the plankton community in the whiteleg Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp pond ecosystem. This research was conducted in January-April 2023 and it is a descriptive study using a survey method. The research location is in an intensive whiteleg shrimp aquaculture pond in Probolinggo, East Java. The results showed that the plankton found in whiteleg shrimp ponds consisted of phytoplankton and zooplankton. The phytoplankton found consisted of 4 phyla with 18 genera, while zooplankton consisted of 3 phyla with 8 genera. Phytoplankton phylum consists of Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, Cyanophyta and Dinophyta, while zooplankton consists of Arthropoda, Ciliophora and Rotifera phyla. The highest total abundance of phytoplankton was 8,192,370 cells/L, while zooplankton was 55,121 cells/L. The highest abundance of phytoplankton was Oocystis (Chlorophyta) of 8,094,015 cells/L, while zooplankton, namely Euplotes (Ciliophora) was 40,154 ind/L. The index of diversity, uniformity and dominance of phytoplankton ranged from 0.05-1.76, 0.02-0.65 and 0.38-0.99, respectively. Zooplankton has diversity, uniformity and dominance indices ranging from 0-2.03, 0-1 and 0.27-1, respectively.

Preliminary study on surface phytoplankton assemblages and physicochemical parameters, off the west and south-west coasts of Sri Lanka

This study evaluates the phytoplankton community structure in relation to physicochemical properties in the western and southwestern coastal waters of Sri Lanka. Phytoplankton and water samples were collected from March to April, 2017 at three transect lines towards offshore in Colombo, Beruwala, and Mirissa, each containing 10 sampling sites. The distance between sampling stations on each transect line was approximately 2 km. Phytoplankton samples were collected towing a net (10 µm mesh) by vertical hauls from known depth (2.5 m) and preserved in Lugol’s solution. The phytoplankton were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level and counted under the Sedgwick rafter cell using a light microscope. Water samples were collected at 0.5 m depth using the Ruttner Sampler and analysed for chlorophyll-a, nutrients, and total suspended solids (TSS). This study identified 57 phytoplankton species comprised of diatoms (33 species), dinoflagellates (23 species), and cyanobacteria (1 species). In general, phytoplankton abundance and species diversity decreased towards offshore in the three transects. Total phytoplankton and diatom abundances varied significantly among the three transect lines, and significantly higher abundance was reported at Mirissa and Colombo than at Beruwala (One-way ANOVA; p < 0.05). Total phytoplankton abundance significantly correlated with dinoflagellates, toxic species of dinoflagellates, chlorophyll-a, and nitrate-N (p < 0.01). Ten toxic species of dinoflagellates were reported in the study. Diatoms dominated (60%) in the study area, followed by cyanobacteria (31%) and dinoflagellates (9%). Diatoms of Cerataulina sp. (31%) and Navicula sp. (50%) were dominant in Colombo and Mirissa respectively, while cyanobacteria of Trichodesmium sp. (85%) dominated in Beruwala, indicating the possibility of blooms of this species at study sites when environmental conditions are favourable.

Spatio-temporal variation in phytoplankton community structure in backwaters of the Ketar River, central Ethiopia

This study assessed the spatio-temporal dynamics of the phytoplankton community in backwaters of the Ketar River, central Ethiopia, in relation to water quality and macrophyte coverage. Phytoplankton samples and physicochemical information were collected at six sites along the river over 1 year (December 2017 to November 2018). Phytoplankton was collected using a 15-μm mesh net. A total of 56 species belonging to three algal phyla were identified; the most diverse phylum was Bacillariophyta (35 species), followed by Chlorophyta (13 species) and Euglenophyta (eight species). Bacillariophyta had the highest abundance and contributed 80.08% of the total phytoplankton abundance. Site 6 in the downstream portion had the highest abundance and greatest diversity of phytoplankton species. The algal phyla present showed significant differences in species diversity and abundance both spatially and temporally. Redundancy analysis results revealed that the spatial distribution of phytoplankton in the river positively correlated with pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen and nitrate-nitrogen, while water temperature and total suspended solids correlated negatively. Some indicators of organic pollution suggest that the water quality of the river is progressively declining, meriting close monitoring.

Limnological properties and phytoplankton as indicator of pollution, Choba segment, New Calabar River, Port Harcourt Nigeria

The limnological properties and phytoplankton as pollution indicator was studied for three Months between February and April,2022. Water and phytoplankton samples were collected from three stations following standard method of APHA using 45µm mesh size plankton net and plastic bottles for phytoplankton and physicochemical variables respectively. The results showed that some of the physicochemical variables studied had their mean values, pH (6.23±0.69), dissolved oxygen (DO)(5.60±0.11 mg/l), electrical conductivity (EC)(280.00±7.0 µs/cm), sulphate (SO4) (83.00±1.00 mg/l) and turbidity(4.91±0.43 cm) within the permissible limits of WHO while others were above the limits. The results also showed that all the variables did not show significant difference spatially at p<0.05 except BOD, EC and NO3. Most of the variables recorded the highest values in March except NO3 with SO4 and NO3 recording the highest values in station 2. A total number of 31 species of phytoplankton belonging to the five taxonomic groups in the order, bacillariophyceae, cholorophyceae, cyanophyceae, chrysophyceae and xanthophyceae were identified. Phytoplankton species identified to be pollution indicator species were Navicular sigma, Cyclotella combata, Cyclotella operculata, Spirogyra sp, Anabaena affinis, Anabaena flus-aqua, Microcystis pulvenca, and Oscillaria lacustris. The total abundance of phytoplankton was highest in station 2 (1,508 Ind/ml) but lowest in station 1(1,144 Ind/ml). Considering the values of some of the physicochemical variables which were above the permissible limits of WHO and the occurrence of some pollution indicator species, Choba segment of the New Calabar River is considered to be at the verge of been threatened/polluted. Therefore, adequate measures should be put in place to regulate the anthropogenic activities in the area.

Dissolved Oxygen and Water Temperature Drive Vertical Spatiotemporal Variation of Phytoplankton Community: Evidence from the Largest Diversion Water Source Area.

In order to study the vertical distribution characteristics of phytoplankton in the Danjiangkou Reservoir, the water source of the Middle Route Project of the South-North Water Diversion, seven sampling sites were set up in the Reservoir for quarterly sampling from 2017 to 2019, and water environment surveys were conducted simultaneously. The results showed that 157 species (including varieties) were identified, belonging to 9 phyla and 88 genera. In terms of species richness, Chlorophyta had the largest number of species, accounting for 39.49% of the total species. The Bacillariophyta and Cyanobacteria accounted for 28.03% and 13.38% of the total species, respectively. From the whole Danjiangkou Reservoir, the total phytoplankton abundance varied from 0.09 × 102 to 20.01 × 106 cells/L. In the vertical distribution, phytoplankton were mainly observed in the surface-thermospheric layer (I-II layer) and the bottom layer, while the Shannon-Wiener index showed a trend of gradually decreasing from the I-V layer. The Surfer model analysis showed that there was no significant stratification in the Q site's water temperature (WT) and dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in the water diversion area during the dynamic water diversion process. A canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that DO, WT, pH, electrical conductivity (Cond), chemical oxygen demand (CODMn), total phosphorus (TP), ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N), and total nitrogen (TN) had significant effects on the vertical distribution of phytoplankton (p < 0.05). A partial Mantel analysis showed that the vertical distribution of the phytoplankton community was related to WT, and the phytoplankton community structure at the other sites, except for Heijizui (H) and Langhekou (L), was affected by DO. This study has positive significance for exploring the vertical distribution characteristics of a phytoplankton community in a deep-water dynamic water diversion reservoir.

Effects of fungicide chlorothalonil on freshwater plankton communities: a microcosm study.

Direct and indirect effects of the fungicide chlorothalonil on aquatic plankton community structure were investigated by exposing plankton to chlorothalonil concentrations of 0.010, 0.025, 0.100, 0.250 and 1.000mg/L over 20days in 18 microcosms (glass tanks having 8 L of pond water). Each treatment was executed in three replicates. Total phytoplankton and zooplankton abundance and chlorophyll-a concentrations in microcosms were measured 5, 10 and 20days after pesticide exposure. Plankton community and taxa response to pesticide concentrations were analyzed using the similarity of percentages procedure (SIMPER) and one-way ANOVA test. The results of the study indicated that highest concentration levels of chlorothalonil exposure had a significant impact on phytoplankton and zooplankton taxa. Phytoplankton taxa Amphora sp. and Staurastrum sp. and zooplankton taxa Moina sp. and copepod Nauplius were highly sensitive to chlorothalonil exposure. Phytoplankton taxa Mougeotia sp. increased with increased chlorothalonil (0.1-1.0mg/L) concentrations, and zooplankton taxa of Aeolosoma sp. showed no significant reduction of individuals in response to pesticide exposure. Results showed that pesticide residues have a direct and rapid impact on phytoplankton and zooplankton community structure. Changes in diversity and species composition induced by pesticides indicate the importance of considering indirect effects of pesticides on the ecological food chain in the aquatic environment.

Structural indicators and toxic species of cyanobacteria of Pskov Lake

The cyanobacterial communities of Lake Pskov were studied in several seasons of 2021, and a comparison was made with the data of earlier studies. Data on the taxonomic composition and quantitative characteristics of cyanobacteria have been obtained, and some species toxic to living organisms are shown. 196 species taxa of phytoplankton in total were recorded at four permanent stations of the lake, 15.8% of which were cyanobacteria. The cyanobacterial communities were most similar in terms of the specific composition in summer and autumn. Some quantitative indicators of cyanobacteria, such as their abundance and biomass, were minimal and maximal in spring and summer–autumn, respectively. Toxic and potentially toxic species belonging to the genera Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Lyngbya, Microcystis, Nodularia, and Nostoc were present among the detected cyanobacteria in each of the studied seasons of the year. The total contribution of representatives of these genera to the total abundance of phytoplankton varied from 4.0% in spring to 65.0% in autumn. In summer, the share of cyanobacteria from the above genera in the total number of microalgae accounted for ~40.0%. The greatest role was noted for the algae Microcystis aeruginosa (Kützing) Kützing, which causes “blooming” of reservoirs and also produces the toxin microcystin with hepatotoxicity. Any study of Lake Pskov requires constant monitoring of the content of cyanotoxins, especially in autumn, when the maximum biomass content of cyanobacteria, including toxic species, is observed, which may lead to serious consequences.

Effect of Mytilus coruscus selective filtration on phytoplankton assemblages

The feeding selectivity of bivalves can play an important role in shaping the structure of phytoplankton communities of natural waters. This could be particularly true in waters with intensive bivalves farming, like Sungo Bay, Northern China. Understanding the role of bivalve feeding behavior is important for assessing how the dense cultivation of bivalves may affect phytoplankton community composition and food web structure in farm areas. In this study, we investigated the feeding selectivity of blue mussel Mytilus coruscus on natural phytoplankton assemblages in Sungo Bay using both optical microscopy and HPLC-pigment analysis. Results showed that cryptophytes dominated the phytoplankton community and made up 66.1% of the total phytoplankton abundance. A comparison of phytoplankton composition between natural and filtered seawater showed that M. coruscus preferred cryptophytes and dinoflagellates than Chaetoceros spp. and Skeletonema spp. Cryptophytes were not detected in gut contents by microscopic observation, while their marker pigment alloxanthin was present, suggesting they were also consumed by M. coruscus and can be readily digested. This highlights the shortcomings of microscopic methods and the significance of HPLC-pigment analysis in obtaining a comprehensive understanding of feeding selectivity of bivalves. The proportions of Chaetoceros spp. and Skeletonema spp. in gut contents were significantly lower than their proportions in the seawater, and contrastingly, the proportions of Cocconeis spp. and Pinnularia spp. showed opposite patterns. The marker pigments prasinoxanthin and zeaxanthin were detected in the gut of M. coruscus indicating that picophytoplankton (e.g., prasinophytes and Synechococcus) are also food sources for this bivalve. This information furthers our understanding of bivalve aquaculture and environment interactions.

Phytoplankton Community Structure Dynamics in Relation to Water Environmental Factors in Zhalong Wetland.

Phytoplankton, as the primary producer of the wetland water ecosystem's food chain, are very sensitive to environmental changes. In order to explore the significance of phytoplankton in protecting ecosystem integrity, the wetland ecosystem in Zhalong wetland, one of the most important international wetlands, was selected as the research area. For the study, 81 sampling sites were set up in the whole wetland, and phytoplankton samples and water quality environmental factors were measured in spring, summer, and autumn of 2019. The phytoplankton community structure and water environmental factors were evaluated by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The main research findings are as follows: a total of 292 species and variants of phytoplankton belonging to 8 phyla and 110 genera were identified within Zhalong wetland in spring, summer, and autumn 2019. The total phytoplankton abundance and biomass in summer were higher than in spring and autumn, and Cyclotella meneghiniana was the most dominant species in three seasons and three areas. The results of random forest are generally consistent with the results of CCA in spring, when the main environmental factors affecting phytoplankton were NTU and WT; the result in summer and autumn agreed with those of CCA, which awaits further study. In addition, the phytoplankton is mainly affected by WT, depth, and DO in the lake area, TP, DO, and NTU in the river area, and WT in the wetland area.

Effect of different mixing modes on the abundance of Microcystis in Lake Taihu under green light.

Light and hydrodynamic force are important physical factors affecting growth of Microcystis. The most recent study found that green light has good effect in inhibiting growth of Microcystis. To understand the effect of mixing modes on Microcystis under the green light, we investigated the effects of continuous mixing and intermittent mixing on the abundance of Microcystis in Taihu Lake under field conditions. The study results found that abundance of Microcystis in control, intermittent mixing group, and continuous mixing group decreased 76.62%, 40.36%, and 95.18% on day 7 compared with that on day 1 in this experiment. At the end of the experiment, abundance percentages of diatoms and green algae to total phytoplankton abundance were 1.57% and 0.48% in control, 2.32% and 0.67% in intermittent mixing group, and 22.47% and 20.27% in continuous mixing group. The results indicated that continuous mixing favored the removal of Microcystis under green light conditions and was helpful for the growth of green algae and diatoms. The results provide a new approach for the control of Microcystis blooms.

Biological indicators as tools for monitoring water quality of a hot spot area on the Egyptian Mediterranean Coast

El-Mex Bay is a semi-sheltered coastal embayment located west of Alexandria, the Egyptian Mediterranean Sea. It is considered as a hot spot area receiving industrial, agricultural, and domestic wastes from the adjacent Lake Mariut through El-Umum Drain. To evaluate the water quality of the bay, phytoplankton and macroalgae as biological tools were investigated seasonally concerning physicochemical parameters from 2018 to 2019. The results indicated that the Bay harbored a diversified phytoplankton community (162 species), comprising 99 freshwater forms, 38 marine, 22 euryhaline, and only 3 brackish forms. The total average phytoplankton abundance was 419,414 unit/L. Few species were responsible for the main bulk of phytoplankton namely Merismopedia tenuissima, Cylindrotheca closterium, Cyclotella sp., Skeletonema costatum, Scenedesmus quadricauda, Scenedesmus bijugus, and Tetradesmus dimorphus. During the study period, El-Mex Bay was affected by the presence of 13 harmful and /or toxic algal species, among which the mediophyte species Skeletonema costatum was responsible for the peak occurring during autumn (2018). The results of the recorded nutrients indicated that the Bay is highly loaded, where NH4, NO2, NO3, PO4, and SiO4 attained 141.68 µM, 25.61 µM, 151.16 µM, 10.73 µM, and 232.86 µM, respectively. The macroalgal flora was represented only by the two opportunistic species (Ulva fasciata and Ulva intestinalis). Both species could survive in freshwater conditions exhibiting very broad salinity tolerance (6.51–38.41‰) and a high level of nitrogenous compounds. Those results revealed that El-Mex Bay suffers from pollution and deterioration of water quality.

Variations in the nutrient concentration and composition in Liaodong Bay under long-term human activities

This paper analyzed the long-term variations in nutrients in Liaodong Bay and their potential influencing factors based on historical data from 1978 to 2019. Under the influence of both human activities and natural changes, the concentration of DIN increased approximately 4-fold from the end of the 1990s to the mid-2010s, while DIP and DSi concentrations decreased from the beginning to the end of the 1980s and have since increased again. Asynchronous changes in nutrient levels have led to changes in the nutrient composition, which has caused a series of ecological effects. The total phytoplankton abundance decreased from the 1980s to the end of the 1990s and then increased again. Additionally, the phytoplankton composition shifted from a diatom-dominated to a dinoflagellate-dominated system, and the dominant species of zooplankton changed. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) rarely occurred before the 1980s but have frequently occurred since the end of the 1990s.

Phytoplankton Communities and Their Relationship with Environmental Factors in the Waters around Macau.

An investigation of the waters around Macau collected 43 phytoplankton species belonging to 29 genera and 5 phyla, including 32 species from 22 genera of Bacillariophyta, 7 species from 3 genera of Pyrrophyta, 2 species from 2 genera of Cyanophyta, and 1 genus and 1 species from both Euglenophyta and Chromophyta. The dominant phytoplankton species in the study areas were Skeletonema costatum (Greville) Cleve, Aulacoseira granulata (Ehrenberg) Simonsen, Thalassiothrix frauenfeidii Grunow, and Thalassionema nitzschioides Grunow. The phytoplankton abundance in the waters around Macau was between 46,607.14 and 1,355,000 cells/m3, with the highest abundance noted in station S8. Diatoms were the main contributor to phytoplankton abundance in station S8, accounting for 96.2% of the total abundance. Station S4 exhibited the lowest phytoplankton abundance of 46,607.1 cells/m3, with diatoms and Chromophytaaccounting for 58.6% and 29.9% of the total phytoplankton abundance, respectively. Biodiversity analysis results showed that the phytoplankton richness index was 1.18–3.61, the uniformity index was 0.24–0.78, and the Shannon–Wiener index was 0.94–3.41. Correlation analysis revealed that ammonia nitrogen was significantly negatively correlated with the phytoplankton richness, uniformity, and Shannon–Wiener indices. Nitrite nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, inorganic nitrogen, salinity, turbidity, and pH were positively correlated with the phytoplankton evenness index and Shannon–Wiener index. Cluster and non-metric multidimensional scaling analyses demonstrated that the phytoplankton community structure in the waters around Macau could be divided into three groups, with A. granulata, S. costatum, T. frauenfeidii, T. nitzschioides, Chaetoceros curvisetus Cleve, and Chaetoceros diadema (Ehrenberg) Gran being predominant in different grouping communities (contribution% > 10%). Biota-Environment Stepwise Analysis (BIOENV) showed a significant correlation between the phytoplankton community and nitrite nitrogen content in the waters around Macau (correlation: 0.5544, Mantel test: statistic 0.4196, p = 0.009), which was consistent with the results of the canonical correspondence analysis.

Influence of cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies on plankton in the southeastern Mediterranean Sea during late summertime

Abstract. Planktonic food webs were studied contemporaneously in a mesoscale cyclonic (upwelling, ∼ 13 months old) and an anticyclonic (downwelling, ∼ 2 months old) eddy as well as in an uninfluenced background situation in the oligotrophic southeastern Mediterranean Sea (SEMS) during late summer 2018. We show that integrated nutrient concentrations were higher in the cyclone compared to the anticyclone or the background stations by 2–13-fold. Concurrently, Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus were the dominant autotrophs abundance-wise in the oligotrophic anticyclone (∼ 300 × 1010 cells m−2). In the cyclone, functional groups such as dinoflagellates, Prymnesiophyceae and Ochrophyta contributed substantially to the total phytoplankton abundance (∼ 14 × 1010 cells m−2), which was ∼ 65 % lower at the anticyclone and background stations (∼ 5 × 1010 cells m−2). Primary production was highest in the cyclonic eddy (191 mgCm-2d-1) and 2–5-fold lower outside the eddy area. Heterotrophic prokaryotic cell-specific activity was highest in the cyclone (∼ 10 fgCcell-1d-1), while the least productive cells were found in the anticyclone (4 fgCcell-1d-1). Total zooplankton biomass in the upper 300 m was 10-fold higher in the cyclone compared with the anticyclone or background stations (1337 vs. 112–133 mg C m−2, respectively). Copepod diversity was much higher in the cyclone (44 species), compared to the anticyclone (6 small-size species). Our results highlight that cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies show significantly different community structure and food-web dynamics in oligotrophic environments, with cyclones representing productive oases in the marine desert of the SEMS.

Dynamics of phytoplankton community in scallop farming waters of the Bohai Sea and North Yellow Sea in China

BackgroundAs the major suppliers of food for higher consumers, phytoplankton are closely related to the yield, nutritional ingredients and even toxin contents of mariculture animals, potentially influencing the human health when they are consumed. With the increase of shellfish culture density, phytoplankton in the coastal waters have been excessively consumed in recent years, and the nutrients they depend on are becoming more and more limited, which severely restrict the shellfish mariculture and threaten the coastal ecosystems.ResultsIn the present study, nutrient concentrations, phytoplankton assemblages and scallop growth status were investigated in the main bay scallop farming waters of the Bohai Sea (Qinhuangdao site) and North Yellow Sea (Zhuanghe site) in 2018. Both phosphate and silicate limitations were observed at the two sites, with the major determinant of phytoplankton assemblages being silicate in Qinhuangdao and phosphate in Zhuanghe, respectively. The phytoplankton assemblages at the two sites displayed different community structures and succession patterns. The phytoplankton community was dominated by dinoflagellates and diatoms in Qinhuangdao, while dinoflagellates were the most abundant group in Zhuanghe, which accounted for 41.9% of the total phytoplankton abundance. The dominant genera of diatoms in Qinhuangdao were Skeletonema, Thalassiosira and Leptocylindrus, while those in Zhuanghe were Thalassiosira and Cyclotella. Greater biomass and more appropriate structure of phytoplankton contributed to higher growth rate and glycogen content of cultured bay scallops.ConclusionsOur study characterized the relationship between nutrient concentration, phytoplankton community and scallop mariculture in the main bay scallop farming waters in northern China. The results suggest that, as nutrient limitation intensified, dinoflagellates are becoming the dominant phytoplankton species in the scallop farming waters of the Bohai Sea and the North Yellow Sea, which is harmful to the coastal mariculture.