TY - JOUR
T1 - High frequency monitoring reveals fine scale spatial and temporal dynamics of the deep chlorophyll maximum of a stratified coastal lagoon
AU - de Eyto, Elvira
AU - Kelly, Sean
AU - Ryder, Elizabeth
AU - Dillane, Mary
AU - Archer, Lorraine
AU - O'Cathain, Donncha
AU - Daly, Sile
AU - Lyons, Kieran
AU - Obrador, Biel
AU - Brentrup, Jennifer
AU - Naumoski, Andreja
AU - Poole, Russell
AU - Lucy, Frances E.
AU - Jennings, Eleanor
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2019/3/5
Y1 - 2019/3/5
N2 - Coastal lagoons are a dynamic habitat, with varying marine and freshwater inputs determining the presence and extent of stratification, and the physical and chemical environment of the epi- and hypolimnion. As a result, the biotic assemblages that thrive in such environments are a diverse mix of species, with wide ranges of tolerances. While annual succession and vertical distribution of phytoplankton assemblages in marine and freshwater ecosystems are well documented, few data are available which describe the spatial and temporal variability of phytoplankton in coastal lagoons, even though these are a protected habitat under the European Union's Habitat Directive. In this study, high frequency monitoring (HFM) of chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) using a vertical profiling sonde was used to describe the variation in algal biomass over six annual cycles and through the water column of Lough Furnace, a perennially stratified coastal lagoon on the west coast of Ireland. Spot sampling, and species enumeration of phytoplankton were used to confirm the patterns observed in the fluorescence data, which indicated a general pattern of increasing biomass starting in spring, and a deepening of the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) over the summer. Typical of a stratified system, the DCM was often situated below the surface mixed layer, in saline hypoxic water. The best predictors of daily maximum ChlF were the depth of the surface mixed layer and daily solar radiation. We conclude that HFM allows an unprecedented glimpse into the substantial variability and complexity of phytoplankton distributions, a key biotic variable.
AB - Coastal lagoons are a dynamic habitat, with varying marine and freshwater inputs determining the presence and extent of stratification, and the physical and chemical environment of the epi- and hypolimnion. As a result, the biotic assemblages that thrive in such environments are a diverse mix of species, with wide ranges of tolerances. While annual succession and vertical distribution of phytoplankton assemblages in marine and freshwater ecosystems are well documented, few data are available which describe the spatial and temporal variability of phytoplankton in coastal lagoons, even though these are a protected habitat under the European Union's Habitat Directive. In this study, high frequency monitoring (HFM) of chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) using a vertical profiling sonde was used to describe the variation in algal biomass over six annual cycles and through the water column of Lough Furnace, a perennially stratified coastal lagoon on the west coast of Ireland. Spot sampling, and species enumeration of phytoplankton were used to confirm the patterns observed in the fluorescence data, which indicated a general pattern of increasing biomass starting in spring, and a deepening of the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) over the summer. Typical of a stratified system, the DCM was often situated below the surface mixed layer, in saline hypoxic water. The best predictors of daily maximum ChlF were the depth of the surface mixed layer and daily solar radiation. We conclude that HFM allows an unprecedented glimpse into the substantial variability and complexity of phytoplankton distributions, a key biotic variable.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85059702001&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ecss.2018.12.010
DO - 10.1016/j.ecss.2018.12.010
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85059702001
SN - 0272-7714
VL - 218
SP - 278
EP - 291
JO - Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
JF - Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
ER -