Phytoplankton and particulate matter at the Weddell / Scotia Confluence (47°W) in summer 1989, as a final step of a temporal succession (EPOS project)

During January 1989, phytoplankton biomass and species composition were studied in a north / south transect at the Weddell / Scotia Confluence (47°W), between 57° and 61°30′S. Results showed a diatom bloom in the Scotia Sea (chlorophyll a 1.9 μg l⁻¹, particulate organic carbon 239 μg l⁻¹), dominated by Fragilariopsis cylindrus, Dactyliosolen antarcticus and Chaetoceros dichaeta. Low chlorophyll a / phaeopigments ratios (about 1.4) and silicate concentrations (15 μmol l⁻¹) suggested that this was an advanced bloom phase, probably linked to high grazing pressure. Minimum chlorophyll a values of 0.1–0.2 μg l⁻¹ and particulate organic carbon 46 μg l⁻¹ were found at the Weddell / Scotia Front and in a subsurface layer of the Weddell Sea Water. In the southern part of the transect (61°30′S), in the Weddell Sea, a second surface maximum was found (chlorophyll a 0.9 μg l⁻¹, particulate organic carbon 120 μg l⁻¹), but with a different species composition, with Cryptomonas sp. dominant. Our results show a succession within the diatom community in the Weddell / Scotia Confluence Waters when comparing the three EPOS legs. In the Weddell Sea from spring to summer, nanoflagellates, with only a minor contribution from diatoms, persist over a long period with little change in the community structure. We suggest that the frontal system, together with the receding ice edge and the grazing pressure of either krill or protozooplankton, are mainly responsible for the phytoplankton distribution patterns found. Received: 3 July 1996 / Accepted: 3 November 1996     

Seasonal variations in biomass, abundance and composition of zooplankton in the subarctic waters north of Iceland

The seasonal variations in biomass, abundance and species composition of zooplankton in relation to hydrography and chlorophyll a were studied in the subarctic waters north of Iceland. The sampling was carried out at approximately monthly intervals from February 1993 to February 1994 at eight stations arranged along a transect extending from 66°16′N–18°50′W to 68°00′N–18°50′W. The mean temperature at 50 m depth showed a clear seasonal pattern, with lowest water temperatures in February (∼1.1°C) and the highest in July (∼5.4°C). The spring growth of the phytoplankton began in late March and culminated during mid-April (∼7.0 mg Chl a m⁻³). Both the biomass and the abundance of total zooplankton were low during the winter and peaked once during the summer in late May (∼4 g m⁻² and ∼38,000 individuals m⁻²). A total of 42 species and taxonomic groups were identified in the samples. Eight taxa contributed ∼90% of the total zooplankton number. Of these Calanus finmarchicus was by far the most abundant species (∼60% of the total zooplankton). Less important groups were ophiuroid larvae (∼9%), Pseudocalanus spp. (∼8%), Metridia longa (∼4%), C. hyperboreus (∼3%), Acartia longiremis (∼2%), chaetognaths (∼2%) and euphausiid larvae (∼2%). The dominant copepods showed two main patterns in seasonal abundance: C. finmarchicus, C. hyperboreus and C. glacialis had one annual peak in numbers in late May, while Pseudocalanus spp., M. longa and A. longiremis showed two maxima during the summer (July) and autumn (October/November). Ophiuroid larvae and chaetognaths (mainly Sagitta elegans) peaked during the middle of July, while the number of euphausiid eggs and larvae was greatest from May to July. The succession in population structure of C. finmarchicus indicated its main spawning to be in April and May, coincident with the phytoplankton spring bloom. A minor spawning was also observed sometime between August and October. However, the offspring from this second spawning contributed only insignificantly to the overwintering stock of C. finmarchicus. Received: 12 September 1997 / Accepted: 1 March 1998     

Temporal Coherence of Chlorophyll a during a Spring Phytoplankton Bloom in Xiangxi Bay of Three‐Gorges Reservoir,China

Algal bloom phenomenon was defined as “the rapid growth of one or more phytoplankton species which leads to a rapid increase in the biomass of phytoplankton”, yet most estimates of temporal coherence are based on yearly or monthly sampling frequencies and little is known of how synchrony varies among phytoplankton or of the causes of temporal coherence during spring algal bloom. In this study, data of chlorophyll a and related environmental parameters were weekly gathered at 15 sampling sites in Xiangxi Bay of Three‐Gorges Reservoir (TGR, China) to evaluate patterns of temporal coherence for phytoplankton during spring bloom and test if spatial heterogeneity of nutrient and inorganic suspended particles within a single ecosystem influences synchrony of spring phytoplankton dynamics. There is a clear spatial and temporal variation in chlorophyll a across Xiangxi Bay. The degree of temporal coherence for chlorophyll a between pairs of sites located in Xiangxi Bay ranged from –0.367 to 0.952 with mean and median values of 0.349 and 0.321, respectively. Low levels of temporal coherence were often detected among the three stretches of the bay (Down reach, middle reach and upper reach), while high levels of temporal coherence were often found within the same reach of the bay. The relative difference of DIN between pair sites was the strong predictor of temporal coherence for chlorophyll a in down and middle reach of the bay, while the relative difference in Anorganic Suspended Solids was the important factor regulating temporal coherence in middle and upper reach. Contrary to many studies, these results illustrate that, in a small geographic area (a single reservoir bay of approximately 25 km), spatial heterogeneity influence synchrony of phytoplankton dynamics during spring bloom and local processes may override the effects of regional processes or dispersal. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Plankton composition and water quality in a pond of spring origin in Turkey

Phyto/zooplankton composition, chlorophyll a, and some water quality parameters were investigated in a spring-originated pond in Central Anatolia between February 2001 and January 2002. Water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, Secchi depth, total and calcium hardness, nitrate-nitrogen, nitrite-nitrogen, ammonia-nitrogen, total phosphorus, and soluble reactive phosphorus levels were analyzed. A total of 49 species belonging to Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Cryptophyceae, and Dinophyceae were identified. The highest phytoplankton abundance was found in August, whereas the lowest was determined in January. Phytoplankton abundance increased from February to August and declined in the following months. The Bacillariophyceae were dominant in the phytoplankton community. A total of 21 species of Rotifera, 2 species of Cladocera, and 1 genus of Copepoda were found. The zooplankton community was dominated by Rotifera. The highest abundance of zooplankton was recorded in July and the lowest value in November. The annual mean concentration of chlorophyll a was measured as 1.90 μg l⁻¹. In spite of these eutrophic levels (mean values of total phosphorus and nitrate-nitrogen: 0.069 mg P l⁻¹ and 0.68 mg N l⁻¹), phytoplankton cannot grow satisfactorily because of the short water retention time (0.6 day⁻¹). The shallowness of the pond together with the low phytoplankton biomass and the high concentrations of nutrients are discussed.     

The influence of floodplain habitat on the quantity and quality of riverine phytoplankton carbon produced during the flood season in San Francisco Estuary

Primary productivity, community respiration, chlorophyll a concentration, phytoplankton species composition, and environmental factors were compared in the Yolo Bypass floodplain and adjacent Sacramento River in order to determine if passage of Sacramento River through floodplain habitat enhanced the quantity and quality of phytoplankton carbon available to the aquatic food web and how primary productivity and phytoplankton species composition in these habitats were affected by environmental conditions during the flood season. Greater net primary productivity of Sacramento River water in the floodplain than the main river channel was associated with more frequent autotrophy and a higher P:R ratio, chlorophyll a concentration, and phytoplankton growth efficiency (α^B). Total irradiance and water temperature in the euphotic zone were positively correlated with net primary productivity in winter and early spring but negatively correlated with net primary productivity in the late spring and early summer in the floodplain. In contrast, net primary productivity was correlated with chlorophyll a concentration and streamflow in the Sacramento River. The flood pulse cycle was important for floodplain production because it facilitated the accumulation of chlorophyll a and wide diameter diatom and green algal cells during the drain phase. High chlorophyll a concentration and diatom and green algal biomass enabled the floodplain to export 14–37% of the combined floodplain plus river load of total, diatom and green algal biomass and wide diameter cells to the estuary downstream, even though it had only 3% of the river streamflow. The study suggested the quantity and quality of riverine phytoplankton biomass available to the aquatic food web could be enhanced by passing river water through a floodplain during the flood season.     

Phytoplankton and phytobenthos pigment strategies: implications for algal survival in the changing Arctic

We compared phytoplankton and phytobenthos pigment strategies in 17 shallow lakes and ponds from northern Canada and Alaska, sampled during mid to late summer. Benthic chlorophyll a concentrations (8–261 mg m⁻²) greatly exceeded those of the phytoplankton (0.008–1.4 mg m⁻²) in all sites. Cyanobacteria dominated the phytobenthos, while green algae and fucoxanthin-groups characterized the plankton. Both communities had higher photoprotection in cold, UV-transparent, high latitude waters. Phytoplankton had higher concentrations of photoprotective carotenoids per unit chlorophyll a than the phytobenthos. The planktonic photoprotective pigments were positively correlated with UV-penetration, and inversely correlated with temperature and coloured dissolved organic matter. A partial redundancy analysis showed that the benthic pigments were related to latitude, area and temperature. The UV-screening compound scytonemin occurred in high concentrations in the phytobenthos and was inversely related to temperature, while benthic carotenoids per unit chlorophyll a showed much lower variability among sites. These differing pigment strategies imply divergent responses to environmental change between the phytobenthos and phytoplankton in high latitude lakes.     

Abundance of picophytoplankton in the halocline of a meromictic lake, Lake Suigetsu, Japan

Numerous (0.5 to 4.8 × 10⁵ cells/ml), small phytoplankton (smaller than 0.5–1 × 1–2 μm in cell size, picophytoplankton) were distributed in the halocline (depth 2–12 m, 4–14 practical salinity units) of the saline meromictic lake, Lake Suigetsu (35°35′ N, 135°52′ E), located in the central part of the coast of Wakasa Bay along the Japan Sea in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. Vertical distribution of phytoplankton revealed that the maximum number of picophytoplankton was always observed near or a little deeper than the oxic-anoxic boundary layer (depth 5–6 m); they were dominant phytoplankton in the water layer deeper than the oxic-anoxic boundary from July to late September 2005. Spectral analysis of autofluorescence emitted from the particle fractions smaller than 5 μm measured with a spectrofluorometer and from individual cells measured with a microscope photodiode array detector revealed that the major component of picophytoplankton was phycoerythrin-rich, unicellular cyanobacteria (picocyanobacteria). Eukaryotic phytoplankton about 2.5 μm in diameter were also found, but the numbers were low. Fluorescence intensity of chlorophyll a at 685 nm (room temperature) emitted from the particle fractions smaller than 5 μm was increased by the addition of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea. These observations indicated that at least some picophytoplankton had a functional photosystem II in the halocline where sulfide, the potential inhibitor of oxygenic photosynthesis, was always present. The large abundance together with their physiological potency suggest that picophytoplankton are one of the important primary producers in the halocline of Lake Suigetsu. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Algae, macrofaunal assemblages and temperature: a quantitative approach to intertidal ecosystems of Iceland

Algae and the associated macrofauna in two Icelandic intertidal ecosystems under cold and warm influence, respectively, were studied with respect to algae-macrofauna relationships and a possible effect of temperature on community structure. Two sites in Iceland were selected, Sandgerdi ligthhouse (64°8′N 22°40′W) on the southwestern coast, and Grimsey Island (66°33′N 18°04′W), in the north, on the Arctic Circle, where sea temperature is considerably lower (5° approximately). The biomass of algae and the number of species of algae and macrofauna were higher in Sandgerdi than in Grimsey, and the patterns of diversity, evenness, biomass and abundance also differed between the sites. In the intertidal zone of Sandgerdi, a total of 28 species of algae and 45 species of macrofauna were identified whereas only 16 algal species and 27 macrofaunal species were found in Grimsey. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) using algal biomass as the environmental variable were conducted, and revealed significant relationships between algae composition and the associated macrofauna; some macrofauna taxa showed specific trophic or refuge relationships with algal species. According to the CCA, Corallina officinalis showed the highest correlation with macrofaunal assemblages in both study sites. However, correlations between macrofauna and other algae differed between Grimsey and Sandgerdi. The present study, together with additional observations in Greenland waters, shows a general decrease of species richness and diversity towards the north which may primarily be due to the temperature regime.     

珠江口南沙河涌浮游植物群落结构时空变化及其与环境因子的关系

随着城市生态健康理念的提出,城市河涌生态健康也受到了前所未有的关注。为更好的了解河涌的水环境和浮游植物现状,于2015年3月至2016年2月对珠江口南沙河涌8个站位水环境和浮游植物群落结构进行调查。结果显示:共发现浮游植物164种(属),隶属7门73属,其中以绿藻种类最多,达33属79种,占48.17%;硅藻次之,17属41种,占25%。优势种为梅尼小环藻(Cyclotella meneghiniana)、假鱼腥藻属(Pseudanabaena sp.)和小球藻(Chlorella vulgaris)。浮游植物细胞密度在0.19×10~6—101.34×10~6个/L内变动,呈现单峰型,在4月发生拟菱形弓形藻(Schroederia nitzschioides)水华,14涌密度高达87.38×10~6个/L,随后因强降雨细胞密度骤降。浮游植物群落的季节演替基本符合PEG(Plankton Ecology Group)模型,从冬季的硅藻,到春夏季的绿藻,再到秋季的蓝藻。One-way ANOVA分析显示,各月份浮游植物细胞密度差异显著(P0.01)。Pearson相关性分析表明绿藻细胞丰度变化主导着浮游植物总丰度的变化(r=0.454,P0.01)。运用Margalef物种丰富度指数、Shannon物种多样性指数、Pielou均匀度指数对水体进行评价表明,调查水体呈中度污染。相关加权营养状态指数表明,河涌全年处于富营养化状态。浮游植物聚类分析表明,时间异质性较高,总体相似性较低;空间上相似性较高,人为活动可能是导致空间差异的关键因子。冗余分析显示,叶绿素a、溶解氧、盐度、水温、总氮和p H与浮游植物群落结构关系最为密切。p H对硅藻门浮游植物影响较大,碱性条件适宜直链藻生长,春季水华形成的驱动因子是盐度、温度和总氮。     

Dinoflagellates and ciliates at Helgoland Roads, North Sea

A monitoring programme for microzooplankton was started at the long-term sampling station “Kabeltonne” at Helgoland Roads (54°11.3′N; 7°54.0′E) in January 2007 in order to provide more detailed knowledge on microzooplankton occurrence, composition and seasonality patterns at this site and to complement the existing plankton data series. Ciliate and dinoflagellate cell concentration and carbon biomass were recorded on a weekly basis. Heterotrophic dinoflagellates were considerably more important in terms of biomass than ciliates, especially during the summer months. However, in early spring, ciliates were the major group of microzooplankton grazers as they responded more quickly to phytoplankton food availability. Mixotrophic dinoflagellates played a secondary role in terms of biomass when compared to heterotrophic species; nevertheless, they made up an intense late summer bloom in 2007. The photosynthetic ciliate Myrionecta rubra bloomed at the end of the sampling period. Due to its high biomass when compared to crustacean plankton especially during the spring bloom, microzooplankton should be regarded as the more important phytoplankton grazer group at Helgoland Roads. Based on these results, analyses of biotic and abiotic factors driving microzooplankton composition and abundance are necessary for a full understanding of this important component of the plankton.     

Temporal and spatial variation of the phytoplankton assemblage in the eastern Indian sector of the Southern Ocean in summer 2001/2002

The abundance and species composition of phytoplankton were investigated at stations in a permanently ice-free (61°S) and seasonally ice-covered area (64°S and 66°30′S) in the eastern Indian sector of the Southern Ocean between November 2001 and March 2002. Although a phytoplankton bloom occurred just after retreat of the sea ice at both stations in the seasonally ice-covered area, vertical stability of the water column during the bloom was weak at the most southerly station. This shows that a bloom can form even under weak vertical stability. In the bloom, diatoms dominated under weak vertical stability and Phaeocystis under strong vertical stability. In the latter case, ice algae largely contributed to development of the bloom. In the later observation period, a subsurface chlorophyll maximum (SCM) was observed at 61°S and 64°S. Species composition was different between the mixed layer and SCM at 64°S, but was uniform with depth at 61°S, indicating that the SCM is formed by different mechanisms.     

Chlorophyll <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> extraction from freshwater algae — a reevaluation

In this study, two extracting methods (sonication and dispersing) and three solvents (90% acetone, N,N′-dimethylformamide and methanol) were compared for their ability to extract chlorophyll a of freshwater phytoplankton. Measurements were performed with both spectrophotometry and high-performance liquid chromatography. Results showed that (i) cell disruption is essential and that (ii) the method of cell disruption and solvent applied differed significantly. Dispersing in acetone surpassed all other combinations. Sonication in N,N′-dimethylformamide was found less effective. N,N′-dimethylformamide and methanol seem to promote the formation of degradation products (chlorophyllide a, allomer, epimer and phaeophytin a) which lead to overestimates of chlorophyll a of about 10% by means of spectrophotometry.     

Egg and faecal pellet production rates of the marine copepod Metridia gerlachei northwest of the Antarctic Peninsula

Egg and faecal pellet production rates, and their functional response to food and temperature, were measured for the Antarctic copepod Metridia gerlachei during January 1996. The study area comprised the Gerlache and Bransfield Straits and Drake Passage. The highest rates of “in situ” egg and faecal pellet production were observed in Gerlache stations, coinciding with chlorophyll a concentrations approaching food saturation levels. In the Bransfield and Drake stations, with very low chlorophyll concentrations, the rates of egg production were either very low, or no eggs were produced. Egg production rates, although well correlated with “in situ” chlorophyll values, appeared to be independent of food concentration on a short time-scale (24-h incubations), while the production of faecal pellets was closely related to food abundance in the same experiments. In general, the rates of egg production were low, even at food saturation, with a very high individual variability. Although in the majority of Gerlache stations about 50% of total chlorophyll a corresponded to the phytoplankton size-fraction >10 μm, M. gerlachei feeds preferentially on the <10-μm fraction. Temperature had no clear effects on egg production rate but had a significant effect on pellet production rates, with maximum values at 2.5°C. These features appear to agree with the reproductive strategy attributed to the species, based on a relatively low rate of egg production extended over a long reproductive period. Received: 18 November 1996 / Accepted: 24 March 1997     

Limnological characteristics of subtropical Lakes Phewa, Begnas, and Rupa in Pokhara Valley, Nepal

Limnological characteristics were studied and analyzed in the subtropical Lakes Phewa, Begnas, and Rupa of Pokhara Valley, Nepal, from 1993 to 1997. The annual water temperature ranged from 12° to 29°C in all lakes. Lake Phewa and Lake Begnas were monomictic and anoxic in the hypolimnion during thermal stratification from April to September. Dissolved oxygen was drastically depleted in April and/or May in shallow Lake Rupa when the macrophyte community began to decompose. NH₄ ⁺-N accumulated below 5 m during March–September when dissolved oxygen was depleted in Lakes Phewa and Begnas. The PC : PP ratio was higher, but the PC : PN and PN : PP ratios were close to the Redfield ratio (106C : 16N : 1P) in Lakes Phewa and Begnas, denoting that P was limited. Annual net primary production showed that the lakes were productive but will tend to become heterotrophic in the future. The seasonal variation of chlorophyll a concentration was high, but its annual variation was low. Ceratium hirundinella and Peridinium spp. in Lake Phewa, Microcystis aeruginosa and Aulacoseira granulata in Lake Begnas, and Tabellaria fenestra in Lake Rupa were the dominant species. The zooplankton population and species varied irregularly. On the basis of chlorophyll a concentration in the euphotic zone and phytoplankton species composition, the lakes seem to be oligoeutrophic and to have some characteristics of temperate lakes rather than tropical lakes. Received: April 26, 1999 / Accepted: September 20, 1999     

Bioassay for phosphate demand in phytoplankton from acidified lakes: Lake Njupfatet,an example of phosphate deficiency induced by liming

A bioassay was developed, involving steady-state ATP level determinations, for estimation of phosphate demand and deficiency in natural phytoplankton communities. The studies were performed on phytoplankton from the moderately acidified Lake Njupfatet in central Sweden before and after liming. Phytoplankton samples from in situ enclosure experiments with low-dose enrichments of nitrate and phosphate and removal of large (> 100 µm) zooplankton and from the lake water were collected. The phytoplankton were concentrated by through-flow centrifugation and post-cultured in the laboratory with or without the addition of phosphate. A relative increase in the ATP:chlorophyll a ratio after the phosphate treatment as compared to samples without phosphate enrichment was found to be a highly reproducible indicator of phosphate deficiency in the natural phytoplankton population. In contrast, the absolute ATP:chlorophyll a ratio varied substantially between different sampling occasions. No phosphate deficiency was detected in phytoplankton from the acidic lake or from fertilized in situ enclosures. However, phytoplankton from in situ enclosures without added nutrients showed evidence of phosphate limitation after 21 days incubation. Also, the phytoplankton community developed a significant phosphate deficiency the summer after lake liming. The results from the ATP analyses are compared with chemical data of the lake water, phytoplankton community structure and phosphatase activities in the lake before and after liming. The average total biomass of phytoplankton and the average Tot-P measured during May to September decreased with appr. 30% after liming while Tot-N was essentially unaffected and the phosphatase activities increased by 1000–2000%.     

Temporal patterns of primary production in a large ultra-oligotrophic Antarctic freshwater lake

A large ultra-oligotrophic Antarctic freshwater lake, Crooked Lake, was investigated between January 1993 and November 1993. The water column supported a small phytoplankton community limited by temperature, nutrient availability and, seasonally, by low photosynthetically active radiation. Chlorophyll a concentrations were consistently low (<1 g l⁻¹) and showed no obvious seasonal patterns. Production rates were low, ranging from non-detectable to 0.56 g C l⁻¹ h⁻¹, with highest rates generally occurring towards the end of the austral winter and in spring. The pattern of carbon fixation indicated that the phytoplankton was adapted to low light levels. Chlorophyll a specific photosynthetic rates (assimilation numbers) ranged from non-detectable to 1.27 gC (g chlorophyll a)⁻¹ h⁻¹. Partitioning of photosynthetic products revealed carbon incorporation principally into storage products such as lipids at high light fluxes with increasing protein synthesis at depth. With little allochthonous input the data suggest that lake dynamics in this Antarctic system are driven by phytoplankton activity. Received: 21 February 1997 / Accepted: 18 May 1997     

The biochemical composition of phytoplankton in an upwelling region off south Africa

Variations in the concentrations of chlorophyll a, ATP, protein, and carbohydrates in phytoplankton have been investigated in a nearshore upwelling region off the Cape Peninsula. During active upwelling temperatures <10 °C, high nutrient concentrations and low concentrations of the biochemical constituents were measured. When upwelling lessened and conditions stabilized temperatures increased and blooms of phytoplankton appeared. High concentrations of chlorophyll a and ATP and a high protein/carbohydrate ratio were then recorded. At very low nutrient levels chlorophyll a and ATP concentrations were still high but an increase in the acid-soluble carbohydrate content and a corresponding decrease in the protein/carbohydrate ratio was observe. It was concluded that the ratio of protein to carbohydrate was a suitable indicator of the physiological state of a phytoplankton community in the local upwelling region.     

Chrysophytes and other protists in High Arctic lakes: molecular gene surveys,pigment signatures and microscopy

Microscopic analysis of the phytoplankton and other protist communities in High Arctic lakes has shown that they often contain taxa in the Chrysophyceae. Such studies have been increasingly supported by pigment analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to identify the major algal groups. However, the use of 18S rRNA gene surveys in other systems indicates that many protists, especially small heterotrophs, are underreported or missed by microscopy and HPLC. Here, we investigated the late summer protist community structure of three contrasting lakes in High Arctic polar desert catchments (Char Lake at 74°42′ N, Lake A at 83°00′ N and Ward Hunt Lake at 83°05′ N) with a combination of microscopy, pigment analysis and small subunit 18S ribosomal RNA gene surveys. All three methods showed that chrysophytes were well represented, accounting for 50–70% of total protist community biomass and 25–50% of total 18S rRNA gene sequences. HPLC analysis supported these observations by showing the ubiquitous presence of chrysophyte pigments. The clone libraries revealed a greater contribution of heterotrophs to the protist communities than suggested by microscopy. The flagellate Telonema and ciliates were common in all three lakes, and one fungal sequence was recovered from Char Lake. The approaches yielded complementary information about the protist community structure in the three lakes and underscored the importance of chrysophytes, suggesting that they are well adapted to cope with the low nutrient supply and strong seasonality that characterize the High Arctic environment.     

Long-term trends and regional differences of phytoplankton in large Finnish lakes

Major nutrients (N and P) and phytoplankton from 19 large lakes from southern (61°) to northern (69°) Finland were analyzed to detect long-term trends and regional differences. The data sets from June, July and August cover the period from the early 1980s to the present. Altogether >700 phytoplankton and >4000 N, P and Chl a results were used for the study. In 40% of the lakes, the total phosphorus (TP) concentration decreased significantly and in >25% of the lakes a significant reduction was found in the total nitrogen (TN) concentration. At the same time, the phytoplankton biomass declined only in 15% of the lakes and the long-term trends in chlorophyll a more often increased than decreased. A clear gradient from southern to northern Finland and western to eastern Finland was found in the phytoplankton biomass. During the study period, the biomasses of cyanobacteria and centrales (diatoms) decreased whilst there was an increase in the biomass of pennales (diatoms) in one-third of the lakes. The proportion of chlorophytes in the total biomass also increased in >20% of the study lakes. In southern and western Finland, the total biomass and the contribution of cyanobacteria were higher. Centrales made a higher contribution to the total biomass in the north. Pennales and chlorophytes were less abundant and chrysophytes more abundant in the east. Differences in the community composition reflected the gradients in the total nutrients, and particularly in TP. The observations support the assumed role of phosphorus as the key limiting nutrient in large Finnish lakes irrespective of lake′s location. The N:P ratio proved to be a poor predictor of cyanobacteria occurrence in the study lakes.     

The use of dialysis culture in a study of chlorophyll budget in a brackish lagoon,Japan

Growth rates of the entire phytoplankton community of a brackish lagoon in northeastern Japan were estimated by measuring increasing chlorophyll a content in dialysis bags during the summer and early autumn of 1986. The chlorophyll a contents of lagoon water fluctuated between 20 and 200 mg m^–3. At lower densities of phytoplankton (20–50 mg chl. a m^–3), growth rates (the rate of increase of chlorophyll a) exceeded 1 turnover per day, while at higher densities (more than 50 mg chl. a m^–3), the growth rate decreased rapidly. Tidal exchanges of chlorophyll a showed net exports of chlorophyll a from the lagoon to adjacent waters. The exchange rate of chlorophyll a was estimated to be 0.65 d^–1. At about 140 mg m^–3 of chlorophyll a concentration, the increase of chlorophyll in the lagoon water compensated for tidal export. Only a small proportion of primary production was consumed by zooplankton in the lagoon. There were also net exports of ammonium and phosphate from the lagoon. Nutrient flux from sediment exceeded the phytoplankton requirement and was the major source of the ammonium and phosphate exports from the lagoon. The low inorganic N/P atom supply ratio in the lagoon suggests that nitrogen is a major nutrient limiting phytoplankton growth.