In spite of relatively frequent studies of the influence of environmental parameters on the microalgae communities, the processes that occur in the sandy littoral in the Black Sea region seeks for additional research. The aim of this paper was to range the environmental factors in relation to algal sandy communities and show the interaction between microalgae abundance and 14 environmental factors during field multifactoral experiment: 5 parameters describing sand grain composition, nutrients, temperature and salinity of water, hydrodynamics and water toxicity. The species composition of epipelic and epipsammic microalgae and their distribution in different habitats in summer and autumn periods were analysed. The priority factor for psammon algal community in any season is size of sand grains and siliceous oxide. Other variables depend on the season: while in summer, mineral nitrogen (nitrates and nitrites) effects the microphytes more intensively than others, in autumn it is replaced by organic nitrogen and silty fraction.
Epipelic and epipsammic microalgae responses to environmental parameters: the Black Sea case study (the Gulf of Odesa, Ukraine)
