Phytoplankton composition in a neritic area of the Balearic Sea (Western Mediterranean)

From September 2000 to September 2001 the concentration of chlorophyll a, and the abundance and composition of the phytoplanktonic community was studied in a neritic station of the Mallorca Channel (Western Mediterranean). Sampling was performed approximately every 12 days. Chlorophyll a concentrati...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Valencia-Vila, Joaquín, Fernández-de-Puelles, María Luz, Jansá, Javier, Varela-Rodríguez, Manuel
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2015
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/316663
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/316663
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Phytoplankton
Centro Oceanográfico de A Coruña
Medio Marino
annual cycle
bloom
Balearic Islands
Western Mediterranean
Descripción
Sumario:From September 2000 to September 2001 the concentration of chlorophyll a, and the abundance and composition of the phytoplanktonic community was studied in a neritic station of the Mallorca Channel (Western Mediterranean). Sampling was performed approximately every 12 days. Chlorophyll a concentration and phytoplankton abundance reached maxima of 1.79 mg L2l and 352 cells mL21, respectively. It was a relatively productive period, as a result of the high convective mixing in winter and the prevalence of northern waters during most of the cycle. Phytoplankton proliferations (chlorophyll-a concentration .1 mg L21) were detected in January, February, March and June. Those blooms mainly happened under the influence of northern waters, with the exception of the February proliferation, when mixing conditions were found. During bloom conditions it highlights the presence of coccolithophores as proliferation precursors. During no-bloom situations the phytoplankton community was mainly constituted by nanoplanktonic flagellated forms. The Winter Mixing period was dominated by different groups of nanoflagellates, including coccolithophores, undetermined flagellates and dinoflagellates. However, in the most oligotrophic conditions (from April until November) dinoflagellates were clearly dominant, except in the DCM in summer where diatoms prevailed.