Effects of pulsed nutrient inputs on phytoplankton assemblage structure and blooms in an enclosed coastal area

Spatharis, Sofie; Tsirtsis, George; Danielidis, Daniel B.; Do, Thang; Mouillot, David

doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2007.03.016

Cited by 126 publications

(86 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…During the third phase, in autumn, phytoplankton diversity remained low, probably because less-competitive species were eliminated by the persistent post-summer oligotrophic conditions [24]. The dominance of picophytoplankton confirms the principle that small species are more competitive and abundant in nutrient-depleted conditions [83], and when salinity is higher (August and September at S2).…”

Section: Discussion-conclusionmentioning

confidence: 50%

“…Variability of phytoplankton assemblages was explained by (i) the availability of nutrients; (ii) the variation of light; and (iii) mixing conditions [20]. The distribution of species within these assemblages is dependent on the degree of stability and nutrient concentrations [21][22][23][24]. Nutrient inputs can be of natural origin (e.g., rainfall, hydrodynamics; [8,22,25,26]) or anthropogenic origin [27,28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contrasting Patterns of Phytoplankton Assemblages in Two Coastal Ecosystems in Relation to Environmental Factors (Corsica, NW Mediterranean Sea)

et al. 2014

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Corsica Island is a sub-basin of the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea, with hydrological features typical of both oligotrophic systems and eutrophic coastal zones. Phytoplankton assemblages in two coastal ecosystems of Corsica (the deep Bay of Calvi and the shallow littoral of Bastia) show contrasting patterns over a one-year cycle. In order to determine what drives these variations, seasonal changes in littoral phytoplankton are considered together with environmental parameters. Our methodology combined a survey of the physico-chemical structure of the subsurface water with a characterization of the phytoplankton community structure. Sampling provided a detailed record of the seasonal changes and successions that occur in these two areas. Results showed that the two sampled stations presented different phytoplankton abundance and distribution patterns, notably during the winter-spring bloom period. Successions in pico-, nano-, and microphytoplankton communities appeared mainly driven by differences in the ability to acquire nutrients, and in community-specific growth rates. Phytoplankton structure and dynamics are discussed in relation to available data on the Northwestern Mediterranean OPEN ACCESS Diversity 2014, 6 297 Sea. These results confirm that integrated monitoring of coastal areas is a requisite for gaining a proper understanding of marine ecosystems.

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Section: Discussion-conclusionmentioning

confidence: 50%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contrasting Patterns of Phytoplankton Assemblages in Two Coastal Ecosystems in Relation to Environmental Factors (Corsica, NW Mediterranean Sea)

et al. 2014

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“…The effect of nutrient supply on phytoplankton population structure is even more unpredictable. While some authors note the negative consequences of increased nutrient input in terms of reduced species diversity and increased occurrences of harmful algal bloom events (Fanuko, 1984;Pan & Subba Rao, 1997;Wang et al, 2006), others emphasize that moderate nutrient inputs can promote biodiversity by stimulating the growth of different taxonomic groups (Spatharis et al, 2007). These theories become even more complex when we consider that zooplankton can obscure changes in the phytoplankton population structure through selective grazing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Coastal marine ecosystems are increasingly affected by nutrient loadings from a variety of anthropogenic sources, including industrial and domestic wastewater and agricultural runoff (Nixon, 1995;Justic et al, 1995;Smith et al, 1999;Spatharis et al, 2007). Untreated domestic and industrial wastewater is considered as one of the main causes of the deterioration of the state of the Mediterranean Sea (UNEP, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of phytoplankton community in the vicinity of domestic sewage outflow during stratified conditions

et al. 2014

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The response of phytoplankton community structure to anthropogenically-derived nutrients from the submarine sewage outflow was analysed in a shallow coastal area of the middle Adriatic Sea. The study was conducted during an eight-year period (2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010) at six stations in the Brač Channel, aiming to assess the potential change in the state of biological and environmental parameters before and after commissioning of the sewage plant. Research was focused on phytoplankton producers in particular, during the summer, which is considered to be critical due to water stratification and low water dynamics. The results show an increase in phytoplankton biomass in the deep layer after discharge activation that was significant (M-W test; U=584.5, p<0.01), but not related to any intense phytoplankton bloom or oxygen deficiency. Temporal variability of total phytoplankton abundances throughout the research period indicated a significant increase in 2005, the year following sewage outflow activation. The Pairwise Dunn's multiple comparison test emphasised the difference in the years before sewage activation (2002, 2003) compared to 2005 (2002 vs. 2005, R=-60.92 p<0.001; 2003 vs. 2005, R=-63.92 p<0.001). This situation was soon followed by the rapid equalization in phytoplankton abundances. Considering the entire research period, there were no changes in the contribution of major phytoplankton groups, but the increase in overall species diversity was recorded, thus supporting the view that moderate inputs may stimulate plankton taxonomic diversity in coastal ecosystems. Increased ciliate and copepod nauplii abundance was also observed but was considered to be caused by natural variability.

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“…Previous field and laboratory studies have shown that intermittent nutrient supply can dramatically change phytoplankton community composition (Roelke et al 1999;Spatharis et al 2007), that shifts in mixing regimes can lead to changes in competition between fast-and slow-sinking species (Kiørboe 1993;Pinckney et al 1999), and that light attenuation caused by inputs of suspended matter can affect planktonic growth and community structure (Alpine and Cloern 1988;Grémare et al 2003). Nonetheless, the combined effect of these factors on the dynamics of the whole community is still poorly understood, particularly if we disregard extreme events and consider only the most frequent episodes, in which the intensity of the forcing is moderate to low.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The interplay between short‐term, mild physicochemical forcing and plankton dynamics in a coastal area

Romero¹,

Peters²,

Guadayol³

2013

Limnology & Oceanography

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Two intensive surveys were conducted in the coastal waters of Barcelona (northwest Mediterranean) to assess short-term variations of biological parameters in relation to environmental conditions. Surveys lasted 1 week, with three to four samplings per day, and were carried out in autumn and spring. Rather than exploring extreme events, we aimed to study the effects of regular low or moderate perturbations, such as meteorological fronts, on the dynamics of the system. We focused on two attributes: wave height, as a proxy for mechanical energy entering the system, and nutrient inputs, whose variability in total load and relative composition is a central characteristic of coastal areas. The effects of the temporal coupling or uncoupling of both factors were examined. Sudden nutrient fluxes uncoupled from water motion tended to favor bacteria and heterotrophic nanoflagellates, while their concurrence with some water column mixing shaped a favorable scenario for large autotrophs. Ultimately, these two distinct biological responses pointed toward two main disturbance scenarios: episodes of nutrient enrichment uncoupled from mixing, mostly related to episodic water spills from the nearby city that contributed to high relative loads of ammonium and organic compounds; and episodes of increased wind caused by passing weather fronts that promoted some water column mixing and the entrainment of nutrients from bottom sediments or from adjacent water masses.

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Effects of pulsed nutrient inputs on phytoplankton assemblage structure and blooms in an enclosed coastal area

Cited by 126 publications

References 41 publications

Contrasting Patterns of Phytoplankton Assemblages in Two Coastal Ecosystems in Relation to Environmental Factors (Corsica, NW Mediterranean Sea)

Contrasting Patterns of Phytoplankton Assemblages in Two Coastal Ecosystems in Relation to Environmental Factors (Corsica, NW Mediterranean Sea)

Analysis of phytoplankton community in the vicinity of domestic sewage outflow during stratified conditions

The interplay between short‐term, mild physicochemical forcing and plankton dynamics in a coastal area

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