Naslov
Composition and annual cycle of phytoplankton assemblages in the northeastern Adriatic Sea

Autori
Viličić, Damir ; Đakovac, Tamara ; Burić, Zrinka ; Bosak, Sunčica

Izvornik
Botanica Marina (0006-8055) 52 (2009), 4; 291-305

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
abundance ; Adriatic Sea ; phytoplankton ; Po River ; seasonality

Sažetak
Phytoplankton abundance and seasonality in the northeastern Adriatic Sea were directly related to the annual regime of the Po River discharge in the period 2002– 2007. In 2005, 2006, and 2007, there was a shift in the timing of the annual Po River maximum discharge and of phytoplankton maxima from spring to autumn. In addition, the eastern coastal area was greatly influenced by oligotrophic karstic rivers and the Eastern Adriatic Current. Dominant phytoplankton taxa were defined on the basis of abundance and frequency of appearance. Such an approach may help in the comparison of phytoplankton communities within different environments. The dominant taxa were the diatoms Cerataulina pelagica, Chaetoceros socialis, Chaetoceros vixvisibilis and Pseudo-nitzschia spp., which appeared at maximum abundances of more than 10^6 cells/liter in more than 20% of samples. Among other phytoplankton, the most common was the coccolithophorid Emiliania huxleyi (maximum abundance of 2×10^5 cells/liter in 50% of samples), and the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum (maximum abundance of 3×10^5 cells/liter in 12% of samples). The present state of the phytoplankton community may provide valuable information for evaluation of possible future environmental changes in the shallow Mediterranean ecosystem.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Geologija, Biologija

POVEZANOST RADA