Contrasting patterns of phytoplankton community pigment composition in two salt marsh estuaries in southeastern United States

Phytoplankton community pigment composition and water quality were measured seasonally along salinity gradients in two minimally urbanized salt marsh estuaries in South Carolina in order to examine their spatial and temporal distributions. The North Inlet estuary has a relatively small watershed with minimal fresh water input, while the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto (ACE) Basin is characterized by a relatively greater influence of riverine drainage. Sampling stations were located in regions of the estuaries experiencing frequent diurnal tidal mixing and had similar salinity and temperature regimens. Phytoplankton community pigment composition was assessed by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and multivariate statistical analyses. Shannon diversity index, principal-component, and cluster analyses revealed that phytoplankton community pigments in both estuaries were seasonally variable, with similar diversities but different compositions. The temporal pigment patterns indicated that there was a relatively weak correlation between the pigments in ACE Basin and the relative persistence of photopigment groups in North Inlet. The differences were presumably a consequence of the unpredictability and relatively greater influence of river discharge in the ACE Basin, in contrast to the greater environmental predictability of the more tidally influenced North Inlet. Furthermore, the timing, magnitude, and pigment composition of the annual phytoplankton bloom were different in the two estuaries. The bloom properties in North Inlet reflected the predominance of autochthonous ecological control (e.g., regenerated nutrients, grazing), and those in ACE Basin suggested that there was greater influence of allochthonous environmental factors (e.g., nutrient loading, changes in turbidity). These interestuarine differences in phytoplankton community structure and control provide insight into the organization of phytoplankton in estuaries.     

Temporal variations in phytoplankton, particulates, and colored dissolved organic material based on optical properties during a Long Island brown tide compared to an adjacent embayment

Since 1985, the coastal embayments of Long Island, New York, have been plagued with recurrent blooms, aptly called brown tides, of the pelagophyte Aureococcus anophagefferens. The distinct ocean color observed during these blooms suggests that optical methods can be used as a tool to study, detect, and track brown tides. Thus, the goal of our project was to compare the optical properties and pigment composition during bloom and non-bloom conditions and assess temporal variations in the phytoplankton and other constituents in the seawater associated with bloom development. From 17 May to 8 June 2000, we measured a time series of particle size distributions and concentrations as well as size-fractioned algal pigments and optical properties in two Long Island embayments where brown tides are known to occur. During our study, A. anophagefferens represented an insignificant contribution to the algal community in West Neck Bay (WNB), whereas a bloom developed in Quantuck Bay (QB). Initially, temperature and salinity were similar at the two locations; however, bulk optical properties, chlorophyll, and particle concentrations were nearly a factor of 2 greater at QB. Bulk optical properties remained constant at WNB, yet increased exponentially at QB as the bloom developed. The composition of particulates, including phytoplankton, varied little at QB, and the optical properties suggested the dominance of A. anophagefferens (confirmed by microscopy). The largest temporal variations were observed in the colored dissolved organic material (CDOM); the colloidal (0.2–0.7 μm) fraction, exhibiting a strong protein-like signal, increased dramatically at the height of the bloom. At WNB particle sizes and algal composition varied despite the invariant bulk optical properties; CDOM variations were minimal. Overall, the optical properties in the two bays demonstrated that at QB temporal variations were dominated by biomass and colloidal protein changes, whereas shifts in the algal community occurred at WNB. This study demonstrates the utility of in situ optical observations to resolve temporal changes in the ecological conditions associated with algal bloom development.     

Dietary compositions of the sparid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acanthopagrus</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic"> butcheri</Emphasis> in three normally closed and variably hypersaline estuaries differ markedly

We have compared the species composition and diversity of the diets of black bream, Acanthopagrus butcheri, in three normally closed estuaries on the central south coast of Western Australia, which vary markedly in the extents to which they become hypersaline during dry periods. Although black bream was caught seasonally in Stokes Inlet during this 3-year study, it was obtained from the Hamersley and Culham inlets only during the earlier seasons because salinities in those two estuaries subsequently rose to levels that caused massive mortalities of this sparid. Although a wide range of taxa, including macrophytes, polychaetes, molluscs, crustaceans, insects and teleosts, were ingested by A. butcheri in each estuary, the frequencies of ingestion and volumetric dietary contributions of these taxa varied greatly among the fish in these three estuaries. Thus, for example, in comparison with other estuaries, relatively greater contributions were made to the diet by polychaetes and crustaceans in Stokes Inlet, by macrophytes in Hamersley Inlet, and by insects (mainly chironomid larvae) in Culham Inlet. The relatively greater contribution of teleosts to the diets of black bream in the Hamersley and Culham inlets than in Stokes Inlet, and also differences in the main teleost species ingested in the first two estuaries, are consistent with differences in the densities of fish overall and of the main fish species in those estuaries. The diversity of the diet was far greater in Stokes Inlet than in the other two far more variably saline estuaries, presumably reflecting a greater diversity of food. The dietary compositions of black bream in upstream pools in the tributary of Culham Inlet, which offer refuge when salinities increase markedly in the main body of the estuary, differ from those in those downstream regions, further emphasising the opportunistic nature of the feeding behaviour of black bream. The dietary compositions of black bream underwent size-related changes, but the taxa contributing most to those changes varied greatly among estuaries. Size-related changes would be particularly beneficial in reducing intraspecific competition for food in the two estuaries that vary greatly in salinity and would thus be likely to contain a less diverse range of prey.     

应用光合色素研究广西钦州湾丰水期浮游植物群落结构

通过2010年6月现场航次19个站点的调查,应用反相高效液相色谱(RP - HPLC) 并结合二极管阵列检测器分析技术,分析了丰水期广西钦州湾浮游植物光合色素组成,进而由CHEMTAX 软件估算全粒级浮游植物的群落结构。结果表明,钦州湾浮游植物光合色素含量以叶绿素a最高,其次为岩藻黄素;浮游植物的优势类群为硅藻,其次为蓝藻和青绿藻,它们分别平均占据了浮游植物生物量的70.2%、12.6%和9.4%,而其它藻类除了绿藻茅岭江河口占据较高的比例(40.2%)之外在其它站点所占比例很低。钦州湾浮游植物群落结构形成了茅岭江口、内湾、外湾和湾外近海共四种类型,茅岭江口以绿藻为优势类群,内湾以硅藻、蓝藻和青绿藻为主要优势类群,外湾以硅藻为单一优势类群,湾外相对于外湾硅藻比重略为下降。主要光合色素含量及浮游植物类群生物量的分布特征与盐度、营养盐关系密切,浮游植物群落结构的分布变化主要受径流及其输入导致的营养盐变化的影响,而这种影响导致了内湾和外湾之间浮游植物主要类群的生物量多寡及浮游植物群落结构的差异。     

Using HPLC pigment analysis to investigate phytoplankton taxonomy: the importance of knowing your species

Phytoplankton microscopic enumerations and HPLC analyses of their pigments were performed weekly for a complete year at a coastal station in the English Channel. The taxonomic composition of the phytoplankton community was assessed using the HPLC results combined with the mathematical tool CHEMTAX in two different ways. Firstly, without using the species level taxonomic information obtained at the microscopic level (blind analyses), and secondly by including the information from the microscopic taxonomic analysis (directed analyses). The results indicate that, due to the particular pigment composition of some species (for example, the dinoflagellate, Karenia mikimotoi and the haptophyte, Phaeocystis pouchetii), a blind analysis would result in very significant errors in the taxonomic determination of the bloom events at this station. Major blooms of Karenia mikimotoi and P. pouchetii were mistaken for blooms of diatoms on the basis of a blind HPLC-CHEMTAX analysis. Only with the information from the microscopic observations was it possible to obtain an accurate representation of the phytoplankton community.Communicated by H.-D. Franke     

Redox-Specialized Bacterioplankton Metacommunity in a Temperate Estuary

This study explored the spatiotemporal dynamics of the bacterioplankton community composition in the Gulf of Finland (easternmost sub-basin of the Baltic Sea) based on phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA sequences acquired from community samples via pyrosequencing. Investigations of bacterioplankton in hydrographically complex systems provide good insight into the strategies by which microbes deal with spatiotemporal hydrographic gradients, as demonstrated by our research. Many ribotypes were closely affiliated with sequences isolated from environments with similar steep physiochemical gradients and/or seasonal changes, including seasonally anoxic estuaries. Hence, one of the main conclusions of this study is that marine ecosystems where oxygen and salinity gradients co-occur can be considered a habitat for a cosmopolitan metacommunity consisting of specialized groups occupying niches universal to such environments throughout the world. These niches revolve around functional capabilities to utilize different electron receptors and donors (including trace metal and single carbon compounds). On the other hand, temporal shifts in the bacterioplankton community composition at the surface layer were mainly connected to the seasonal succession of phytoplankton and the inflow of freshwater species. We also conclude that many relatively abundant populations are indigenous and well-established in the area.     

Distribution of phytoplankton pigments in nine European estuaries and implications for an estuarine typology

Phytoplankton pigments were studied by LiquidChromatography (HPLC) in nine West Europeanestuaries. Three estuaries, i.e. the Rhine,Scheldt and the Gironde were sampled four timesto cover the different seasons, whereas theother six estuaries were sampled once. Pigmentdistributions in estuaries reflect bothriverine inputs as well as autochthonousblooms. Fucoxanthin was the most commonaccessory photosynthetic pigment showing thatDiatoms were the most common group in thestudied estuaries and were particularlydominant during autumn and winter. In the veryturbid Gironde estuary, degradation processeswere predominant between salinities 1 and 20,while Diatoms, Dinoflagellates and Cryptophytesbloomed above 20 salinity during spring andsummer. This contrasted with the highlyeutrophic but less turbid Scheldt, wherephytoplanktonic blooms occurred at lowsalinities close to the city of Antwerp. In theScheldt, we observed both a tenfold fluctuationof phytoplankton biomass and a fluctuatingpigment diversity index. In contrast,chlorophyll a was always low in theGironde, but we observed large variations ofpigment diversity among samplings duringdifferent seasons. Distribution of pheopigmentsshowed that the maximum turbidity zone (MTZ)was a highly reactive region for heterotrophicphytoplankton degradation. The Scheldt and theThames were the most anthropogenic influencedestuaries contrasting with the Gironde estuarythat has a less urbanised watershed. Anestuarine typology is proposed based on threeclusters emerging from a correspondenceanalysis of pigment variables and variablescharacterising the anthropogenic impact andphysical forcing.     

The relationship between phytoplankton distribution and water column characteristics in North West European shelf sea waters

Phytoplankton underpin the marine food web in shelf seas, with some species having properties that are harmful to human health and coastal aquaculture. Pressures such as climate change and anthropogenic nutrient input are hypothesized to influence phytoplankton community composition and distribution. Yet the primary environmental drivers in shelf seas are poorly understood. To begin to address this in North Western European waters, the phytoplankton community composition was assessed in light of measured physical and chemical drivers during the "Ellett Line" cruise of autumn 2001 across the Scottish Continental shelf and into adjacent open Atlantic waters. Spatial variability existed in both phytoplankton and environmental conditions, with clear differences not only between on and off shelf stations but also between different on shelf locations. Temperature/salinity plots demonstrated different water masses existed in the region. In turn, principal component analysis (PCA), of the measured environmental conditions (temperature, salinity, water density and inorganic nutrient concentrations) clearly discriminated between shelf and oceanic stations on the basis of DIN:DSi ratio that was correlated with both salinity and temperature. Discrimination between shelf stations was also related to this ratio, but also the concentration of DIN and DSi. The phytoplankton community was diatom dominated, with multidimensional scaling (MDS) demonstrating spatial variability in its composition. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to investigate the link between environment and the phytoplankton community. This demonstrated a significant relationship between community composition and water mass as indexed by salinity (whole community), and both salinity and DIN:DSi (diatoms alone). Diatoms of the Pseudo-nitzschia seriata group occurred at densities potentially harmful to shellfish aquaculture, with the potential for toxicity being elevated by the likelihood of DSi limitation of growth at most stations and depths.     

Use of Metabolic Inhibitors to Characterize Ecological Interactions in an Estuarine Microbial Food Web

Understanding microbial food web dynamics is complicated by the multitude of competitive or interdependent trophic interactions involved in material and energy flow. Metabolic inhibitors can be used to gain information on the relative importance of trophic pathways by uncoupling selected microbial components and examining the net effect on ecosystem structure and function. A eukaryotic growth inhibitor (cycloheximide), a prokaryotic growth inhibitor (antibiotic mixture), and an inhibitor of photosynthesis (DCMU) were used to examine the trophodynamics of microbial communities from the tidal creek in North Inlet, a salt marsh estuary near Georgetown, South Carolina. Natural microbial communities were collected in the spring, summer, and fall after colonization onto polyurethane foam substrates deployed in the tidal creek. Bacterial abundance and productivity, heterotrophic ciliate and flagellate abundance, and phototrophic productivity, biomass, and biovolume were measured at five time points after inhibitor additions. The trophic responses of the estuarine microbial food web to metabolic inhibitors varied with season. In the summer, a close interdependency among phototrophs, bacteria, and protozoa was indicated, and the important influence of microzooplanktonic nutrient recycling was evident (i.e., a positive feedback loop). In the fall, phototroph and bacteria interactions were competitive rather than interdependent, and grazer nutrient regeneration did not appear to be an important regulatory factor for bacterial or phototrophic activities. The results indicate a seasonal shift in microbial food web structure and function in North Inlet, from a summer community characterized by microbial loop dynamics to a more linear trophic system in the fall. This study stresses the important role of microbial loops in driving primary and secondary production in estuaries such as North Inlet that are tidally dominated by fluctuations in nutrient supply and a summer phytoplankton bloom.     

Dynamics of ice algae and phytoplankton in Frobisher Bay

Summary Vertical and seasonal variations of ice algae and phytoplankton were studied in relation to their physico-chemical environments in Frobisher Bay from 1979 to 1986. The biomass, estimated by both chlorophyll a concentrations and cell counts, was greater in the ice algae than in the phytoplankton in the underlying sea-water during winter and spring. Algal distribution in the sea ice varied vertically and seasonally, while in the underlying water column the phytoplankton distribution was much less variable. The ice algal bloom occurred at the bottom of the ice, particularly in the lower 5 cm during late spring, while the phytoplankton bloom took place at depths between 1 and 10 m during early summer after the ice bloom was over. The community structure of the ice algae changed from pennate to centric diatoms as the ice melted. The centrics dominated through the fall, and then decreased as the pennates increased in dominance when the ice formed again in winter. Species diversity and number were greater in the sea ice than in the seawater, but they were similar vertically within each habitat. The evenness of the species distribution did not vary with ice thickness or water depth. Species composition, abundance and dominance of ice algae and phytoplankton continually change both vertically and seasonally. The differential abilities of the species to attain maximal growth rates under various environmental conditions may result in species succession. Evidence is given for the major role of environmental factors regulating the dynamics of ice algae and phytoplankton.     

Phytoplankton associations in a small hypertrophic fishpond in East Hungary during a change from bottom-up to top-down control

Phytoplankton species composition and abundance of a shallow hypertrophic fishpond (Mézeshegyi-tó, East Hungary) was studied for the period 1992–1995. The pond showed a pronounced algal periodicity. High-diversity phytoplankton assemblages occurred in spring and autumn. During the winter period, low diversity values were related either to stable community states, when K-strategist species dominated the plankton, or to a large bloom of r-strategist species. In summer, the stable environment led to low-diversity, high-biomass phytoplankton assemblages, dominated by Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. At this time, the growth conditions for Cylindrospermopsiswere akin to those prevailing in a continuous fermentor. The overwhelming dominance of this species lasted for more than four months, during which time, the phytoplankton resembled that of one in the tropics. In August, 1993, an unsuccessful chemical treatment for reducing the algal bloom succeeded in killing the pond's entire population of fish. The large fish-stock comprised the planktivorous silver carp. Although the summer of 1994 was one of the warmest summers of this century, the expected Cylindrospermopsis bloom failed to develop probably because of a higher grazing pressure by large zooplankton. In spite of the fact that the temporal and spatial pattern of the phytoplankton is influenced principally by bottom-up effects, changes in cascading trophic interactions may also considerably influence the species composition and biomass.     

Physiological responses of estuarine phytoplankton to ultraviolet light-induced fluoranthene toxicity

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are common pollutants associated with urbanization and suburbanization in estuarine systems, but little is known about their effects on the physiological properties of microalgae. We examined the effects of ultraviolet (UV)-activated fluoranthene toxicity on (a) the growth, chlorophyll a content cell⁻¹, and pigment composition of axenic Ankistrodesmus sp. (an estuarine benthic green microalga) and (b) the phytoplankton population growth and pigment composition of natural communities from an urbanized (Murrells Inlet) vs. forested (North Inlet) salt marsh estuary. The zeaxanthin/violaxanthin ratio increased in Ankistrodesmus sp. cultures exposed to UV light in the presence of fluoranthene, supporting the hypothesis that xanthophyll cycling is an energy dissipative response to photoinduced PAH toxicity in this species. Exposure of natural communities to the combination of UV light and fluoranthene resulted in decreased chlorophyll production and increased zeaxanthin violaxanthin⁻¹ in samples from the urbanized estuary (Murrells Inlet), but not North Inlet, suggesting that phytoplankton in the former “fluoranthene-impacted” estuary were more susceptible to fluoranthene toxicity. Consideration of xanthophyll cycling as a microalgal response to UV-activated PAH toxicity has implications to understanding the influence of these contaminants on microbial food web structure and ecosystem production.     

The water bloom of Cyanobacterial picoplankton in Lake Biwa,Japan

Unicellular autofluorescent picoplankton ranging from 0.4 to 1.5 µm in diameter were found to be a significant component of phytoplankton in the North Basin of Lake Biwa during early summer in 1989 and 1990. The abundance of these picoplankton varied seasonally by about three orders of magnitude with one maximum of up to 10⁶ cells ml^–1. Bloom-forming picoplankton were isolated by dilution and further cultivated in liquid medium. Three clones were found to be representative species of the bloom. Using epifluorescence and electron microscopy as well as absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopy, we examined these clones according to shape and pigment composition. They have ringlike thylakoids, are photosynthetically active and have no nuclear envelope. The cyanobacterial clones isolated represent three types containing phycobilisomes with either phycocyanin or phycoerthrin as the dominant accessory pigment. They are described here as three new species, two phycoerythrin-rich types and one phycocyanin-rich type, all of them belonging to the Synechococcus group. The differences found by fluorescence emission of isolated clones are discussed with respect to in situ strain identification.     

A comparison of phytoplankton assemblages in the Chesapeake and Delaware estuaries (USA), with emphasis on diatoms

The Delaware Bay is characterized as having greater nutrient and turbidity levels than the Chesapeake Bay. In reference to these differences, a one year study was conducted to identify any similarities and differences in the phytoplankton populations in these estuaries. The results indicated patterns of similarity in the diatom composition, with the total phytoplankton assemblage forming two site groups along a salinity gradient in each bay. These site groups were associated with stations located in the tidal fresh-oligohaline and meso-polyhaline regions of both estuaries. The seasonal concentrations of diatoms and total phytoplankton in both of these regions were higher in the Chesapeake Bay.Subtle differences between the two estuaries include a more diversified and abundant assemblage of neritic phytoplankters (including dinoflagellates) are present in the lower Chesapeake Bay. In contrast, a diatom dominated community is more characteristic of Delaware Bay. It is suggested the entry of neritic species into lower regions of the estuaries was enhanced by the reduced amount of rainfall and flow rates that occurred during the study period. The greater success of neritic species in the Chesapeake Bay is attributed to the lower turbidity of that estuary compared to Delaware Bay.     

流沙湾海草床海域浮游植物的时空分布及其影响因素

2008年2月至11月对广东省流沙湾海草床海域的浮游植物进行了周年的季节调查,结果共检出浮游植物151种:冬季57种、春季66种、夏季73种、秋季66种,其中硅藻门44属123种,占浮游植物种类数的81.4%;甲藻门11属26种,占浮游植物种类数的17.2%;绿藻门和蓝藻门各1属1种,各占浮游植物种类数的0.7%。优势种共有26种,主要为夜光藻Noctiluca scintillans、威氏角毛藻Chaetoceros weissflogii、圆海链藻Thalassiosira rotula、菱形海线藻Thalassionema nitzschioides等,都是链状群体或个体较细长或较大的种类,没有个体较短小的优势种群;各季节间共有种类数在22-43种,Jaccard种类相似性指数范围在0.211-0.448,多样性指数和均匀度平均值分别为2.12和0.35,群落结构较脆弱;细胞丰度在0.24×10⁴-5.72×10⁴ 个/L,秋季最高,夏季次之,冬季最低,属季节单峰型变化,与一般亚热带春、秋季出现丰度高峰不一致。相关性分析发现,浮游植物丰度与活性硅酸盐呈极显著的正相关,与盐度呈显著的负相关,与其他因子不存在明显的相关性;叶绿素a浓度与水温呈极显著的负相关,与浮游动物丰度呈显著的负相关。从浮游植物吸收N、P的配比分析,N为四季的营养限制因子,但从N、P的绝对值看,N和P都是全年的营养限制因子,因此其水质营养类型属于亚热带贫营养型。     

QUANTIFICATION OF THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF THE TOXIC DINOFLAGELLATE,KARENIA BREVIS (DINOPHYTA), USING UNIQUE PHOTOPIGMENTS1

Diagnostic photopigment analysis is a useful tool for determining the presence and relative abundance of algal groups in natural phytoplankton assemblages. This approach is especially useful when a genus has a unique photopigment composition. The toxic dinoflagellate Karenia brevis (Davis) G. Hansen & Moestrup comb. nov. shares the diagnostic pigment gyroxanthin‐diester with only a few other dinoflagellates and lacks peridinin, one of the major diagnostic pigments of most dinoflagellate species. In this study, measurements of gyroxanthin‐diester and other diagnostic pigments of K. brevis were incorporated into the initial pigment ratio matrix of the chemical taxonomy program (CHEMTAX) to resolve the relative contribution of K. brevis biomass in mixed estuarine phytoplankton assemblages from Florida and Galveston Bay, Texas. The phytoplankton community composition of the bloom in Galveston Bay was calculated based on cell enumerations and biovolumetric measurements in addition to chl a‐specific photopigment estimates of biomass (HPLC and CHEMTAX). The CHEMTAX and biovolume estimates of the phytoplankton community structure were not significantly different and suggest that the HPLC–CHEMTAX approach provides reasonable estimates of K. brevis biomass in natural assemblages. The gyroxanthin‐diester content per cell of K. brevis from Galveston Bay was significantly higher than in K. brevis collected from the west coast of Florida. This pigment‐based approach provides a useful tool for resolving spatiotemporal distributions of phytoplankton in the presence of K. brevis blooms, when an appropriate initial ratio matrix is applied.     

河口浮游植物生态学研究进展

综述了河口浮游植物种类组成、时空分布、初级生态及其影响因素等方面的主要研究进展,同时,对河口浮游植物在水环境监测中的作用以及河口浮游植物多样性与边缘效应进行了初步探讨。研究表明,通常河口区重要的浮游植物有硅藻、甲藻等,微型、超微型浮游植物在河口生态系统中占有重要地位。河口浮游植物种类组成、初级生产的时空变化明显,并受到光、温度、营养盐、动物摄食以及径流等因素的影响。     

Monitoring phytoplankton, bacterioplankton, and virioplankton in a coastal inlet (Bedford Basin) by flow cytometry.

BACKGROUND: To establish the prevailing state of the ecosystem for the assessment of long-term change, the abundance of microbial plankton in Bedford Basin (Nova Scotia, Canada) is monitored weekly by flow cytometry. METHODS: Phytoplankton are detected by their chlorophyll autofluorescence. Those that contain phycoerythrin are designated as Synechococcus cyanobacteria or cryptophyte algae according to the intensity of light scatter. Bacteria and viruses are stained with DNA-binding fluorochromes and detected by green fluorescence. Distinction is made between bacterial and viral subpopulations exhibiting high and low fluorescence. RESULTS: Time series data are presented for weekly observations from 1991 to 2000. Weekly averages are computed for the complete annual cycle of temperature, salinity, river discharge, nitrate, phosphate, silicate, chlorophyll, total phytoplankton including Synechococcus and cryptophytes, total bacteria including high and low-fluorescence subpopulations, and total viruses including high and low-fluorescence subpopulations. CONCLUSIONS: The microbial biomass in the surface water of Bedford Basin is dominated by phytoplankton. The spring bloom of phytoplankton represents a maximum in algal biovolume, but not in cell number. Phytoplankton, bacteria, and viruses all attain their annual numerical maxima between the summer solstice and the autumn equinox. A vigorous microbial loop and viral shunt is envisioned to occur in the summer.     

Phytoplankton of an eutrophic tropical reservoir: comparison of biomass estimated from counts with chlorophyll-a biomass from HPLC measurements

The seasonal variation of phytoplankton in an eutrophic tropical reservoir was evaluated through photosynthetic pigments analyzed by HPLC. The contributions of algal classes to total chlorophyll a (TChl-a) were estimated by two procedures. The first one used fixed marker pigment/chlorophyll a ratio available from culture studies of the major species of each class. In the second procedure, a matrix factorization program (CHEMTAX) was used to analyze the pigment data. The pigment data were compared with carbon biomass estimated from microscope analysis. A significant correlation between total chlorophyll a (measured by HPLC) and total biomass was obtained, indicating only a slight variation in the content of algal chlorophyll a when compared to its fluctuations in carbon biomass. The interpretation of pigment data with CHEMTAX resulted in a good agreement with biomass. Although displaying some differences, the general pattern of the phytoplankton community dynamics and the major shifts in composition, biomass and the cyanobacterial bloom were evidenced. In contrast, Chl-a biomass estimates from fixed Xan/Chl-a ratios presented poor agreement with microscope data and did not register the principal changes in phytoplankton. Our results also highlighted the needs of better understanding of the relationships between marker pigments, chlorophyll-a and algal biomass.