Testing of the CHEMTAX program in contrasting Neotropical lakes, lagoons, and swamps

Abstract

The problem using the CHEMTAX program in freshwater environments is that the few matrices of pigment ratios available have not been tested in a wide range of environments. Sixteen Amazonian, Andean, and Caribbean lakes, lagoons, and swamps were sampled over a year. The aim was to determine if it was possible to obtain a reliable matrix of input pigment ratios that may be used in freshwater habitats with different environmental conditions. There were no clear differences among regions for most of the ratios of marker pigments to Chlorophyll a (Chl a) in most of the phytoplankton groups. Only the zeaxanthin/Chl a ratio showed clear variations among areas. The estimates for the mean relative contribution of each phytoplankton group calculated for the pigment ratios obtained in each separate habitat and season were very similar to the estimates calculated using the average pigment ratio obtained for all habitats and seasons. Our study suggests that the matrix of the average pigment ratio obtained in this study can be used to estimate phytoplankton class abundances with the CHEMTAX program in freshwater habitats with different limnological conditions.

Optical properties of highly turbid shallow lakes with contrasting turbidity origins: The ecological and water management implications

“…The procedure used, however, did not allow the individualization of zeaxanthin and lutein, which coeluted as a single peak (referred to as Zea þ Lut). The contribution of each pigment to the Zea þ Lut concentration was calculated from the Lut/Chl b ratio reported by Guisande et al (2008).…”

Characterization of ultraphytoplankton pigments and functional community structure in Xiangxi Bay, China, using HPLC-CHEMTAX

“…In studies of different habitats, including an estuary (Lionard et al 2008), a bay (Madhu et al 2014), lagoons (Sarmento & Descy 2008), and freshwater (Guisande et al 2008), many adjustments were made to the choice of pigment matrix and the initial ratio. The intent was to isolate and incubate the phytoplankton in the laboratory to discover the pigment/Chl a ratio, but finding the ratio for every phylum was complex.…”

Taxonomic and ultrastructural study of the genera Strombomonas and Trachelomonas (Euglenophyta) from Colombia

“…Although some research on these organisms was carried out in nearby countries such as Brazil and Bolivia (Thomasson 1971and 1977, Uherkovich & Schmidt 1974, Uherkovich & Franken 1980, Couté & Thérézien 1985, Thérézien 1989, Rodrigues 1992, Conforti 1993a, b, and 1994; for Colombia, only four scientific works were focused on them (Conforti & Nudelman 1994, Duque 1995, Duque & Nuñez Avellaneda 2000, Tolivia et al 2012. On the other hand, the Caribbean region also presents excellent characteristics for the Euglenophyta (Guisande et al 2008). Some works exist for Venezuela (Deflandre 1926, Yacubson 1980and 1984, Yacubson & Bravo 1982 and Mexico (Ortega et al 1994), however there are no reports of them from this región of Colombia.…”