Annual cycles of phytoplankton community-structure and bloom dynamics in the Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina |
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Authors: | J L Pinckney H W Paerl M B Harrington K E Howe |
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Institution: | (1) Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 3431 Arendell Street, Morehead City, North Carolina 28557, USA, US |
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Abstract: | The spatiotemporal distributions of major phytoplankton taxa were quantified to estimate the relative contribution of different
microalgal groups to biomass and bloom dynamics in the eutrophic Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina, USA. Biweekly water
samples and ambient physical and chemical data were examined at sites along a salinity gradient from January 1994 through
December 1996. Chemosystematic photopigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids) were identified and quantified using high-performance
liquid chromatography (HPLC). A recently-developed factor-analysis procedure (CHEMTAX) was used to partition the algal group-specific
chlorophyll a (chl a) concentrations based on photopigment concentrations. Results were spatially and temporally integrated to determine the ecosystem-level
dynamics of phytoplankton community-constituents. Seasonal patterns of phytoplankton community-composition changes were observed
over the 3 yr. Dinoflagellates reached maximum abundance in the late winter to early spring (January to March), followed by
a spring diatom bloom (May to July). Cyanobacteria were more prevalent during summer months and made a large contribution
to phytoplankton biomass, possibly in response to nutrient-enriched freshwater discharge. Cryptomonad blooms were not associated
with a particular season, and varied from year to year. Chlorophyte abundance was low, but occasional blooms occurred during
spring and summer. Over the 3 yr period, the total contribution of each algal group, in terms of chl a, was evenly balanced, with each contributing nearly 20% of the total chl a. Cryptomonad, chlorophyte, and cyanobacterial dynamics did not exhibit regular seasonal bloom patterns. High dissolved inorganic-nitrogen
loading during the summer months promoted major blooms of cryptomonads, chlorophytes, and cyanobacteria.
Received: 12 September 1997 / Accepted: 12 December 1997 |
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