Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton in the upper Swan River estuary, Western Australia

1996 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 659 ◽  
Author(s):  
PA Thompson ◽  
W Hosja

During 1993-94 the phytoplankton community in the upper Swan River estuary had a peak chlorophyll a concentration of 57 mg m-3 during early summer (December 1993) and a second peak of 35 mg m-3 during late autumn (May 1994). Mid summer was characterized by low cell densities and low chlorophyll a concentrations. The potential of the phytoplankton community for nutrient limitation was assessed with dilution bioassays given nutrient mixes deficient in one of the following: nitrogen, phosphate, silicate, iron, trace metals, chelators, or vitamins. During the mid-summer period of low phytoplankton abundance, nitrogen was the nutrient with the greatest potential to limit algal biomass. During mid summer, ambient N:P ratios tended to be near unity and bioassays indicated that the available pool of N was up to 20 times more limiting to biomass development than was available P. Also during mid summer, bioassay treatments given no nitrogen and control treatments given no nutrients showed little growth, reaching chlorophyll a concentrations -1/30th of those given a full suite of nutrients. Chlorophyll a concentrations in the bioassay control treatments given no nutrients were correlated (r2 = 0.74) with measured surface nitrate concentrations; this suggested that nitrate inputs may be a major factor controlling phytoplankton biomass in this ecosystem. The correlation between surface nitrate concentration and rainfall (r2 = 0.69) further suggests that rainfall may be the most important mechanism supplying nitrate to the surface waters of this estuary.

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-26
Author(s):  
Duong Thi Thuy ◽  
Thi Nguyet Vu ◽  
Thi Phuong Quynh Le ◽  
Tu Cuong Ho ◽  
Trung Kien Hoang ◽  
...  

Algae provide an important role in aquatic food web and biochemical cycles in aquatic systems. They are affected by different environmental factors, such as pH, light, temperature and nutrients. This study aimed to describe the composition abundance and density of phytoplankton in the Hoa Binh reservoir during period from March to December 2011. Phytoplankton samples were collected monthly at four sampling stations. Result obtained showed that 6 phytoplankton classes were recorded: Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Euglenophyceae, Dinophyceae and Cryptophyceae.  Bacillariophyceae and Cyanobacteria were the most abundant phytoplankton families constituting 61% and 32% respectively of total phytoplankton community. Colony-forming and solitary filamentous-forming of Cyanobacteria group (e.g. Microcystis aeruginosa, M. wesenbergi and Oscillatoria sp. respectively) were a common component of phytoplankton community in the early summer and autumn periods (April and September). The total cell densities of phytoplankton varied seasonally from 84210 to 100x106 cell/L. Phytoplankton density varied with season with high values in early summer and winter (April and December) and low values in summer – autumn periods (from June to October). Tảo đóng vai trò quan trọng trong mạng lưới thức ăn và chu trình sinh địa hóa của thủy vực và chúng chịu sự chi phối của nhiều yếu tố môi trường như ánh sáng, pH, nhiệt độ và dinh dưỡng. Nghiên cứu này trình bày đa dạng thành phần loài và biến động sinh khối thực vật phù du tại hồ chứa Hòa Bình từ tháng 3 đến tháng 12 năm 2011. Các mẫu thực vật nổi được thu thập hàng tháng tại 4 điểm. Kết quả đã xác định được 6 lớp tảo chính bao gồm: Vi khuẩn lam, tảo lục, tảo silic, tảo mắt, tảo giáp và tảo lông roi hai rãnh. Nhóm tảo silic và Vi khuẩn lam chiếm ưu thế với độ phong phú tương đối là 61% và 32% tương ứng trong quần xã thực vật nổi. Vi khuẩn lam dạng tập đoàn và dạng sợi (Microcystis aeruginosa, M. wesenberg, Oscillatoria sp. tương ứng) chiếm ưu thế trong quần xã thực vật nổi vào các thời điểm đầu hè và mùa thu (tháng 4 và tháng 9). Tổng mật độ tế bào thực vật nổi dao động từ 84210 đến 100 x106 cell/L. Mật độ thực vật nổi biển động theo mùa với sinh khối tê bào cao vào đầu hè và mùa đông (tháng 4 và tháng 12) và sinh khối tế bào thấp vào các mùa hè và thu (tháng 6 đến tháng 10).


2006 ◽  
Vol 57 (8) ◽  
pp. 803 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. P. Hamilton ◽  
G. B. Douglas ◽  
J. A. Adeney ◽  
L. C. Radke

Seasonal variations in major ions, nutrients and chlorophyll a were examined at two sites in the upper reaches of the Swan River estuary, Western Australia. Intra-annual variations between the variables were strongly influenced by seasonal riverine discharge, though major ions behaved highly conservatively across a wide range of salinity. Reduced discharge following winter produced strong density stratification that coincided with upstream salt wedge propagation and produced distinct physico-chemical identities of surface and bottom waters. Anoxia of bottom waters associated with the salt wedge region induced increased concentrations of ammonium and phosphate, especially at the deeper of the two sites. Locally variable groundwater flow may have also been important in transporting sediment porewater nutrients into the water column. The seasonality of riverine discharge produced large intra-annual variations in temperature (13–29°C) and salinity (3–30). Transient increases in turbidity occurred when the salt wedge coincided with the position of sampling locations. The subsequent flocculation process likely contributed to further oxygen consumption and nutrient regeneration from the bottom sediments, while simultaneously depositing nutrient-rich flocs with low molar N:P ratios (3–8) to the sediment surface. Nutrient ratios and absolute nutrient concentrations suggest that nitrogen is the nutrient most likely to limit phytoplankton growth over most of the year.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-199
Author(s):  
Yaşar DURMAZ ◽  
Gökhun Çağatay ERBİL

Inositols are used as growth promoting agents over plants. But microalgae are different from higher plant especially photosynthetic efficiency and productivity. According to the results of this study, myo-inositol addition to the culture medium of Nannochloropsis oculata provides higher cell densities. 100 mg L-1 myo-inositol added experimental group was reached to 1.42 fold cell mL-1, while the 500 mg L-1 myo-inositol added group was reached to 1.28 fold cell mL-1 than the control group. Mean chlorophyll a per cell amounts were calculated for experimental groups and control groups as 0.052 pg cell-1 and 0.053 pg cell-1, respectively. Mean total carotene per cell amounts were calculated for all groups as 0.016 pg cell-1. These results show that no difference was occurred between all groups by chlorophyll a and total carotene amounts per cell. This study shows that myo-inositol use in microalgae production may provide higher yields.


1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 2155-2163 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. M. Gray

Differences between nearshore and offshore phytoplankton biomass and composition were evident in Lake Ontario in 1982. Phytoplankton biomass was characterized by multiple peaks which ranged over three orders of magnitude. Perhaps as a consequence of the three times higher current velocities at the northshore station, phytoplankton biomass ranged from 0.09 to 9.00 g∙m−3 compared with 0.10 to 2.40 g∙m−3 for the midlake station. Bacillariophyceae was the dominant group at the northshore station until September when Cyanophyta contributed most to the biomass (83%). Although Bacillariophyceae was the principal component of the spring phytoplankton community at the midlake station, phytoflagellates (49%) and Chlorophyceae (25%) were responsible for summer biomass, with the Chlorophyceae expanding to 80% in the fall. The seasonal pattern of epilimnetic chlorophyll a correlated with temperature. While chlorophyll a concentrations were similar to values from 1970 and 1972, algal biomass had declined and a number of eutrophic species (Melosira binderana, Stephanodiscus tenuis, S. hantzschii var. pusilla, and S. alpinus) previously found were absent in 1982.


2018 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Celewicz ◽  
Michał Jan Czyż ◽  
Bartłomiej Gołdyn

Filtration patterns in the fairy shrimp Eubranchipus grubii were analysed under laboratory conditions using water containing phytoplankton from their actual locality in western Poland. After 48 hours of feeding, we compared the structure of algal communities in water samples in treatments with males, females and control. The mean filtration rate for E. grubii was relatively high (14,488 mL h-1) in comparison to other crustacean filter feeders and was higher for females than for males. Fairy shrimps grazed effectively on all 11 dominant phytoplankton taxa and there was no sign of overall preferences with regard to taxon, cell volume, length or shape. Female fairy shrimps removed significantly more cells of three taxa (Cryptomonas erosa, C. ovata and Trachelomonas volvocina). The differences between sexes did not depend on the cell volume or length of particular phytoplankton taxa but were significantly related to their initial abundance, initial biomass and shape. The higher the abundance and biomass of the algal taxa, the more intensively it was grazed by females than by males. Females were also observed to graze more on spherical and elongated cells. In conclusion, our results show E. grubii to be an effective, generalist filter feeder capable of significantly influencing the phytoplankton community of a vernal pool. Possible implications of such grazing pressure are also discussed.


2012 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 585-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelena Rakocevic

Phytoplankton seasonal succession and spatial heterogeneity were studied in Lake Skadar from February to December 2004. A total of 167 taxa from 6 algal divisions were observed, with Bacillariophyta being best represented (52.8%). The general pattern of phytoplankton seasonal succession in Lake Skadar was: Bacillariophyta in the spring, Chlorophyta in early summer, Cyanobacteria and Chlorophyta in late summer and Bacillariophyta and Chlorophyta in autumn and winter. Distinct spatial heterogeneity was observed. The central, open part of the lake (pelagic zone) was characterized by dominant euplanktonic species, mostly diatoms, whereas the western and northwestern parts (more isolated and shallower) had higher abundance of greens and blue-greens and a higher percentage of resuspended benthic-epiphytic forms in the phytoplankton community. Comparison with former phytoplankton data showed distinct differences in terms of the qualitative and quantitative composition of the phytoplankton community of Lake Skadar, which indicates lake deterioration.


2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 319-326
Author(s):  
Joo Eun Han ◽  
Wontae Lee

Objectives:This study evaluated the removal of <i>Microcystis</i> by coagulation in raw waters with three different cell densities.Methods:Raw waters were prepared at three different cell densities (target cell densities of 10,000, 100,000, and 1,000,000 cell/mL; actual cell densities of 9,950, 102,000, and 991,000 cell/mL) by adding <i>Microcystis</i> into surface water from Nakdong river. Jar-tests were conducted with PACL, alum, illite, and loess at dosages of 0-150 mg/L.Results and Discussion:Regardless of coagulant types, the removal rates of <i>Microcystis</i> increased as the coagulant dosages increased. PACl and alum exhibited higher removal rates than illite and loess; PACl was the best coagulant to remove <i>Microcystis</i>. Removal of chlorophyll-a was highest when PACl added at 20.4 mg/L, and no significant increase in removal rate was observed with higher dosages of PACl. However, removal rates of chlorophyll-a by illite and loess gradually increased as the dosages increased.Conclusions:With the coagulants tested in this study, removal rates of <i>Microcystis</i> increased as the coagulant dosages increased. Removal rates of <i>Microcystis</i> increased as the cell densities increased probably because <i>Microcystis</i> acted as particles which could enhance the coagulation efficiency.


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