Biological Fronts in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, and Their Relation to Recent Measurements of Primary Productivity

Parsons, T.R.; Stronach, J.A.; Borstad, GA; Louttit, Gregory C.; Perry, R. Ian

doi:10.3354/meps006237

Cited by 44 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Organisms in the Strait of Georgia were investigated because these waters contain many tidally driven fronts separating stratified from well-mixed waters (Parsons et al 1981). These fronts are seasonally stable and provide contrasting physical, chemical, and biological properties.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Volume-frequency distributions of marine phytoplankton in a temperate neritic environment

La¹

1988

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT. A seasonal study was carried out to determine whether or not volume-frequency distributions of near surface nano-and microplankton were approximated by a power function model in temperate neritic waters. Measurements of buoyancy frequency, the nutrients NO3-N, NO2-N, NH,-N, urea-N, Si(OH),-Si, and PO,-P, phytoplankton photosynthehc pigments, and cell concentrations and volumes were made around a frontal zone in the Strait of Georgia, Canada, at ca 3 w k intervals from Apnl 1983 to September 1984, excluding October to February. The model accounted for a large percentage of the variance in spectra when nano-flagellates and dinoflagellates dominated phytoplankton crops in pre-diatom bloom and nutlient-depleted waters. When diatoms dominated crops, the fit was better in summer than in spring and often was positively correlated to temperature Possible covariance of temperature and grazing by large omnivorous zooplankters on diatoms was considered The exponent of the power function varied around -0.92, derived from linear regression analysis of a log,-transformed allometric equation A geometric mean or functional regression slope was used because the slope varied with the correlation coefficient and because the relationship descnbes an allometric dependence. Results support the use of a power function model to predict volume-frequency spectra of temperate nentic phytoplankton whenever diatoms are not abundant or from the time of the demise of the spring diatom bloom until at least the early fall season when diatoms are abundant. The presence of diatoms such as Laudena boreahs, Skeletonema costatun], and Thalassiosira nordenskiold~i in larger numbers than predicted by their cell volumes invalidates use of the model during spring.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Volume-frequency distributions of marine phytoplankton in a temperate neritic environment

La¹

1988

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Shallow sea fronts, areas of high primary productivity (Pingree et al 1975, Parsons et al 1981, Holligan et al 1984, are located at the boundary between mixed and stratified water. These regions are characterized by having high phytoplankton biomass in surface water with measurable concentrations of dissolved nitrate, and a shallow pycnocline which extends to the surface at the frontal boundary (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Simpson & Pingree 1978). In the Strait of Georgia, a coastal basin off the west coast of Canada, several tidally-induced frontal regions have been described (Parsons et al 1981).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time course of uptake of inorganic and organic nitrogen by phytoplankton in the Strait of Georgia: comparison of frontal and stratified communities

Price¹,

Cochlan²,

Harrison³

1985

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In both frontal and stratified water of the Strait of Georgia, changes in dissolved nitrogen concentrations provided evidence for the simultaneous uptake of ammonium, nitrate and urea by a summer phytoplankton community. Chlorophyll a specific uptake rates of ammonium and urea were ca 2 and 2.4 times greater in stratified water than in frontal water, whereas chlorophyll a specific nitrate uptake rates were ca 1.6 times greater in frontal water. Ammonium and urea regeneration rates, calculated using a mass balance approach, were similar in frontal water, but urea regeneration rates were 2 to 5 times greater in the stratified water during the first 12 h of the experiment. Increases in particulate nitrogen could not be accounted for by corresponding decreases in total concentration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and urea, or by 15N accumulation in the particulates. In frontal water the change in total dissolved inorganic nitrogen and urea consistently overestimated the change in particulate nitrogen, and in stratified water the change in total dissolved inorganic nitrogen and urea consistently underestimated the change in particulate nitrogen. These data suggest that the plankton community In frontal water was losing nitrogen in the form of dissolved organic nitrogen. By contrast, the plankton community in stratified water took up nitrogen compounds which were not measured as part of the total dissolved inorganic and urea nitrogen, but were most likely dissolved organic nitrogen compounds. Results stress the importance of determining uptake rates of all 3 nitrogen substrates (NHfi, N O and urea) using 15N isotopes and by simultaneously measuring the change in concentration of these compounds throughout the incubation period.

show abstract

“…Pingree et al 1975, Parsons et al 1981, 1983, Holligan et al 1984. These regions are characterized by having surface water with high phytoplankton biomass and measurable concentrations of nitrate, and a shallow pycnocline which extends to the surface at the frontal boundary (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The experiments presented in this study were conducted in the Strait of Georgia, a partially enclosed coastal basin on the west coast of Canada (see reviews by Harrison et al 1983, LeBlond 1983, where several tidally induced frontal regions have been previously described (Parsons et al 1981, Price et al 1985. The influence of PPFD on the uptake of NO: and urea by phytoplankton from nitrate-replete frontal water and nitrate-depleted stratified water was examined, and the dependence of N uptake on PPFD by the phytoplankton from the subsurface chlorophyll maximum of these 2 distinct areas was compared.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of irradiance on nitrogen uptake by phytoplankton: comparison of frontal and stratified communities

Cochlan¹,

Price²,

Harrison³

1991

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Biological Fronts in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, and Their Relation to Recent Measurements of Primary Productivity

Cited by 44 publications

References 9 publications

Volume-frequency distributions of marine phytoplankton in a temperate neritic environment

Volume-frequency distributions of marine phytoplankton in a temperate neritic environment

Time course of uptake of inorganic and organic nitrogen by phytoplankton in the Strait of Georgia: comparison of frontal and stratified communities

Effects of irradiance on nitrogen uptake by phytoplankton: comparison of frontal and stratified communities

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About