The environmental implication of diatom fossils in the surface sediment of the Changjiang River estuary(CRE) and its adjacent area

In order to depict the distribution of diatom fossils in surface sediments and to establish a reliable reference data for further paleoenvironmental study in the Changjiang(Yangtze) River estuary and its adjacent waters, the diatom fossils from 34 surface sediment samples and their relationship with environmental variables were analyzed by principal component analysis and redundancy correspondence analysis. The diversity and abundance of diatom fossils were analyzed. Some annual average parameters of the overlying water(salinity, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, depth, dissolved inorganic nitrogen,dissolved inorganic phosphate and dissolved inorganic silicate) were measured at each sampling site. A total of 113 diatom taxa and one silicoflagellate species were identified in the investigation area. Diatom fossils were better preserved in fine sediments. The absolute abundance of diatom fossils did not significantly dif fer between inshore and of fshore areas, the species diversity decreased from inshore to of fshore. This may be because high nutrients and low salinity promoted the growth of more brackish species in coastal waters. The diatom taxa were divided into three groups, on the basis of their response and indication to environmental changes. For example, Actinocyclus ehrenbergii and Cyclotella stylorum were dominant in coastal waters(Group 1 and Group 3) with high nutrients and low salinity; the relative abundances of Paralia sulcata and Podosira stelliger were significantly higher in of fshore sites(Group 2, average 39.5%),which were characterized by high salinity and deep water. Four environmental variables(salinity, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, temperature and water depth) explained the composition and distribution of diatom taxa independently( P 0.05), this finding can be applied in further paleoenvironmental reconstruction research in this area.     

Spatial-temporal variation of phytoplankton community structure in Jiaozhou Bay,China

To better understand the spatial-temporal variation in phytoplankton community structure and its controlling factors in Jiaozhou Bay,Qingdao,North China,four seasonal sampling were carried out in 2017.The phytoplankton community structure and various environmental parameters were examined.The phytoplankton community in the bay was composed of mainly diatoms and dinoflagellates,and several other species of Chrysophyta were also observed.Diatoms were the most dominant phytoplankton group throughout the year,except in spring and winter,when Noctiluca scintillans was co-dominant.High Si/N ratios in summer and fall reflect the high dominance of diatoms in the two seasons.Temporally,the phytoplankton cell abundance peaked in summer,due mainly to the high temperatures and nutrient concentrations in summer.Spatially,the phytoplankton cell abundance was higher in the northern part of the bay than in the other parts of the bay in four seasons.The diatom cell abundances show significant positive correlations with the nutrient concentrations,while the dinoflagellate cell abundances show no correlation or a negative correlation with the nutrient concentrations but a significant positive correlation with the stratification index.This discrepancy was mainly due to the different survival strategies between diatoms and dinoflagellates.The Shannon-Wiener diversity index(H')values in the bay ranged from 0.08 to 4.18,which fell in the range reported in historical studies.The distribution pattern of H' values was quite different from that of chlorophyll a,indicating that the phytoplankton community structure might have high biomass with a low diversity index.Compared with historical studies,we believe that the dominant phytoplankton species have been changed in recent years due mainly to the changing environment in the Jiaozhou Bay in recent 30 years.     

The bacterial diversity and community composition altered in the oxygen minimum zone of the Tropical Western Pacific Ocean

The oxygen minimum zones(OMZs) are globally expanding,yet the variation pattern of microbial communities related to dissolved oxygen levels remain unclear.Spatial variability of bacterial diversity and community composition(repre sented by 16 S rRNA) of six stations was investigated within the water column in the seamount area of Tropical Western Pacific Ocean(TWPO) in May 2019.The seawater has dissolved oxygen(DO) concentration of 3.01-6.68 mg/L and the core of the oxygen minimum zones was located between the depths of 650 m and 1 750 m.The bacterial alpha-diversity showed unimodal pattern with the decreasing DO with depths and peaked in the upper oxycline(UO) of OMZs.The bacterial community structure of the mixed layer(ML) and the bottom layer clustered and separated from each other,while those of UO and the OMZ core(OM) clustered and overlapped.Overall,bacterial community composition transitioned from being Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria-dominant in ML to being Gammaproteobacteria and Nitrososphaeria/Deltaproteobacteria-dominant in UO and OM,and then changed to being Clostridia and unidentified Actinobacteria-dominant in the bottom layer.Moreover,both bacterial alpha-diversity and the abundant classes fitted varying sectioned functions with DO.The DO solely explained 40.37% of the variation of bacterial community composition among layers(P0.001).The predicted function profiling showed that the water column was predominant by chemoheterotrophy,cyanobacteria,and photoautotrophy in ML,by chemoheterotrophy and nitrate/sulfide cycling in UO and OM,and by chemoheterotrophy and ferme ntation in the bottom layer.Our findings revealed the DO-associated variation in bacterial diversity and community composition,and help to clarify the potential responses of microbes and their involved biogeochemical processes to the expansion and intensification of OMZs.     

Seasonal variability of phytoplankton community structure in relation to different nitrogen-phosphorus ratios in the southern coastal waters of Zhejiang, China

With the rapid development of economy and increase of population in the drainage areas, the nutrient loading has increased dramatically in the Changjiang estuary and adjacent coastal waters. To properly assess the impact of nutrient enrichment on phytoplankton community, seasonal microcosm experiments were conducted during August 2010–July 2011 in the coastal waters of Zhejiang Province. The results of the present study indicated that the chl a concentration, cell abundance, diversity indices, species composition and community succession of the phytoplankton varied significantly with different N/P ratios and seasons. Higher growth was observed in the 64:1 (spring), 32:1 (summer), 16:1 (autumn) and 128:1, 256:1 (winter) treatments, respectively. The values of Shannon-Wiener index (H′) and Pielou evenness index (J) were lower in the 8:1 and 16:1 treatments in autumn test, while H′ value was higher in the 128:1 and 8:1 treatments in winter test. A definite community succession order from diatoms to dinoflagellates was observed in the autumn and winter tests, while the diatoms dominated the community throughout the culture in the spring and summer tests.     

Contrasting patterns of free-living bacterioplankton diversity in macrophyte-dominated versus phytoplankton blooming regimes in Dianchi Lake,a shallow lake in China

Freshwater shallow lakes typically exhibit two alternative stable states under certain nutrient loadings:macrophyte-dominated and phytoplankton-dominated water regimes.An ecosystem regime shift from macrophytes to phytoplankton blooming typically reduces the number of species of invertebrates and fishes and results in the homogenization of communities in freshwater lakes.We investigated how microbial biodiversity has responded to a shift of the ecosystem regime in Dianchi Lake,which was previously fully covered with submerged macrophytes but currently harbors both ecological states.We observed marked divergence in the diversity and community composition of bacterioplankton between the two regimes.Although species richness,estimated as the number of operational taxonomic units and phylogenetic diversity(PD),was higher in the phytoplankton dominated ecosystem after this shift,the dissimilarity of bacterioplankton community across space decreased.This decrease in beta diversity was accompanied by loss of planktonic bacteria unique to the macrophyte-dominated ecosystem.Mantel tests between bacterioplankton community distances and Euclidian distance of environmental parameters indicated that this reduced bacterial community differentiation primarily reflected the loss of environmental niches,particularly in the macrophyte regime.The loss of this small-scale heterogeneity in bacterial communities should be considered when assessing long-term biodiversity changes in response to ecosystem regime conversions in freshwater lakes.     

Winter Phytoplankton Assemblages of Coastal Yellow Sea Connected to Jiaozhou Bay,China

I Introduction Phytoplankton play an important role in the primary production of ocean (Ning et al., 1995). They are impor-tant biological mediators of carbon turnover in seawater ecosystems (Zhu et al., 1993). Phytoplankton in Jiaozhou Bay have been preliminarily studied on the subjects of community structure, primary productivity and carbon budget (Qian et al., 1983; Guo et al., 1992; Jiao et al., 1994). It has been found that seasonal variation of phytoplankton cell abundance presents w…     

Distribution of diatoms and silicoflagellates in surface sediments of the Yellow Sea and offshore from the Changjiang River,China

The spatial distribution of siliceous microfossils (diatoms and silicoflagellates) in the surface sediments was mapped at 113 sites in the Yellow Sea and sea areas adjacent to the Changjiang (Yangtze) River, China. In total, 267 diatom taxa and two silicoflagellate species were identified from the sediments. The spatial variations in abundance and diversity were classified into three distinct geographic patterns using Q mode clustering: a south-north geographic pattern, a coastal-offshore pattern and a unique pattern in the Changjiang River mouth. The south-north geographic pattern was related to the spatial variations in sea temperature. Coscinodiscus oculatus, a warm-water species, indicated these variations by a gradual decrease in abundance from the south to the north. The coastal-offshore pattern was in response to the spatial variations in salinity. Cyclotella stylorum, Actinocyclus ehrenbergii and Dictyocha messanensis, the dominant brackish species in coastal waters, significantly decreased at the isobaths of approximately 30 m, where the salinity was higher than 31. Paralia sulcata and Podosira stelliger indicated the impact of the Yellow Sea Warm Current in the central Yellow Sea. The unique pattern in the Changjiang River mouth showed the highest species diversity but lower abundance, apparently because: freshwater input can significantly increase the proportion of brackish species; nutrients can supply the growth of phytoplankton; and high sedimentation rates can dilute the microfossil abundance in the sediments. Our results show that an integration of environmental factors (e.g., nutrient levels, sedimentation rate, sea temperature, salinity and water depth) determined the spatial characteristics of the siliceous microfossils in the surface sediments.     

Spatio-temporal distribution of phytoplankton in the Danjiangkou Reservoir, a water source area for the Southto-North Water Diversion Project (Middle Route), China

One of the water source areas of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project is the Danjiangkou Reservoir (DJKR). To understand seasonal variation in phytoplankton composition, abundance and distribution in the DJKR area before water diversion, as well as to estimate potential risks of water quality after water diversion, we conducted an investigation on phytoplankton in the DJKR from August 2008 to May 2009. The investigation included 10 sampling sites, each with four depths of 0.5, 5, 10, and 20 m. In this study, 117 taxa belonging to 76 genera were identified, consisting of diatoms (39 taxa), green algae (47 taxa), blue-green algae (19 taxa), and others (12 taxa). Annual average phytoplankton abundance was 2.01 × 10⁶ ind./L, and the highest value was 14.72 × 10⁶ ind/L (at site 3 in August 2008). Phytoplankton abundance in front of the Danjiangkou Dam (DJKD) was higher than that of the Danjiang Reservoir Basin. Phytoplankton distribution showed a vertical declining trend from 0.5 m to 20 m at most sites in August 2008 (especially at sites of 1, 2, 4 and 10), but no distinct pattern in other sampling months. In December 2008 and March 2009, Stephanodiscus sp. was the most abundant species, amounting to 55.23% and 72.34%, respectively. We propose that high abundance of Stephanodiscus sp. may have contributed greatly to the frequent occurrence of Stephanodiscus sp. blooms in middle-low reaches of the Hanjiang River during the early spring of 2009. In comparison with previous studies conducted from 1992 to 2006, annual average phytoplankton density, green algae and blue-green algae species, as well as major nutrient concentrations increased, while phytoplankton diversity indices declined. This indicates a gradual decline in water quality. More research should be conducted and countermeasures taken to prevent further deterioration of water quality in the DJKR.     

A COMPARISON OF EASTERN AND WESTERN HONG KONG PHYTOPLANKTON FROM WEEKLY SAMPLES （1997-1999）

Weekly phytoplankton samples were taken from western Hong Kong (Lamma) from Jan. 1997 to Dec. 1999 and from Port Shelter in Eastern Hong Kong from January 1998 to December 1999. During that time diatom blooms occurred repeatedly at both sites but never in synchrony. One species would bloom at one site and then weeks later it or another species would bloom at the other site; while the 1998 red tide of the mucus producing dinoflagellateGymnodinium mikimotoi occurred at both sites. It first occurred at the Port Shelter site in March and did not appear at the Lamma site until April. With the single exception of this species, no other dinoflagellate reached bloom concentrations at the Lamma site. In addition, dinoflagellate abundance at the Lamma site was significantly lower (P<0.05) than that at the Port Shelter site. This was correlated with a significantly higher turbidity (i. e. low Secchi transparency) and higher turbulence (stronger currents) at the Lamma site. Annual variation in surface temperature correlated with total surface phytoplankton abundance at both our sample sites. Phytoplankton abundance increased in spring as water temperatures warmed. In fall, as surface water temperatures began to decline and the monsoon rains became less frequent there was a reduction in phytoplankton abundance associated with the reduction in temperature and light. Because so many variables co-occur with temperature (e. g. the amount of rainfall light intensity and light duration etc.) it is not possible to cite temperature as the causal factor associated weth controlling phytoplankton abundance at our two sample sites. Our data support the rather controversial notion that percentage-wise, there are relatively more harmful bloom forming species in nutrient-rich coastal waters than there are in the world's oceans. 16% of the dinoflagellate species and 10.3% of the diatom species observed at our two sample sites were classed as harmful. These percentages were higher than those cited by Sournia (1995) for the worlds oceans (9.6% and 6.8% respectively). This raises the possibility that there are relatively more toxic species in the nutrient-rich coastal waters of the world than there are in the mid ocean nutrient-poor areas of the world. Some reasons for this are briefly discussed.     

Metabolic and phylogenetic profile of bacterial community in Guishan coastal water (Pearl River Estuary), South China Sea

Characteristics of a microbial community are important as they indicate the status of aquatic ecosystems. In the present study, the metabolic and phylogenetic profile of the bacterioplankton community in Guishan coastal water(Pearl River Estuary), South China Sea, at 12 sites(S1–S12) were explored by community-level physiological profiling(CLPP) with BIOLOG Eco-plate and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis(DGGE). Our results showed that the core mariculture area(S6, S7 and S8) and the sites associating with human activity and sewage discharge(S11 and S12) had higher microbial metabolic capability and bacterial community diversity than others(S1–5, S9–10). Especially, the diversity index of S11 and S12 calculated from both CLPP and DGGE data(H 3.2) was higher than that of others as sewage discharge may increase water nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient. The bacterial community structure of S6, S8, S11 and S12 was greatly influenced by total phosphorous, salinity and total nitrogen. Based on DGGE fingerprinting, proteobacteria, especially γ- and α-proteobacteria, were found dominant at all sites. In conclusion, the aquaculture area and wharf had high microbial metabolic capability. The structure and composition of bacterial community were closely related to the level of phosphorus, salinity and nitrogen.     

Bacterial diversity, composition and temporal-spatial variation in the sediment of Jiaozhou Bay, China

Studies on the diversity and distribution of bacterial populations will improve the overall understanding of the global patterns of marine bacteria and help to comprehend local biochemical processes and environments. We evaluated the composition and the dynamics of bacterial communities in the sediment of Jiaozhou Bay (China) using PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Sediment samples were collected from 10 different sites in May, August, and November 2008 and in February 2009. There was significant temporal variation in bacterial community composition at all sites. However, the spatial variation was very small. The DGGE analyses of bacterial communities were used to divide the 10 stations into three types. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed that the changes in bacterial communities were driven by sediment properties. Sequence analysis of DGGE band-derived 16S rRNA gene fragments revealed that the dominant bacterial groups in the sediment were of the classes γ-proteobacteria and δ-proteobacteria and phyla Bacteroidetes and Nitrospirae. Our results provide considerable insight into the bacterial community structure in Jiaozhou Bay, China.     

Climatology and seasonal variability of satellite-derived chlorophyll a around the Shandong Peninsula

The chlorophyll a(Chl a) is an important indicator of marine ecosystems. The spatiotemporal variation of the Chl a greatly aff ects the mariculture and marine ranching in coastal waters of the Shandong Peninsula. In the current study, the climatology and seasonal variability of surface Chl-a concentration around the Shandong Peninsula are investigated based on 16 years(December 2002–November 2018) of satellite observations. The results indicate that the annual mean Chl-a concentration is greater in the Bohai Sea than in the Yellow Sea and decreases from coastal waters to off shore waters. The highest Chl-a concentrations are found in Laizhou Bay(4.2–8.0 mg/m 3), Haizhou Bay(4.2–5.9 mg/m 3) and the northeast coast of the Shandong Peninsula(4.4–5.0 mg/m 3), resulting from the combined eff ects of the intense riverine input and long residence time caused by the concave shape of the coastline. The seasonal Chl-a concentration shows a signifi cant spatial variation. The Chl-a concentrations in these three subregions generally exhibit an annual maximum in August/September, due to the combined eff ects of sea surface temperature, river discharge and sea surface wind. In the southeast coast region, however, the Chl-a concentration is lowest throughout the year and reaches a maximum in February with a minimum in July, forced by the seasonal evolution of the Yellow Sea Cold Water and monsoon winds. The interannual Chl-a concentration trends vary among regions and seasons. There are signifi cant increasing trends over a large area around Haizhou Bay from winter to summer, which are mainly caused by the rising sea surface temperature and eutrophication. In other coastal areas, the Chl-a concentration shows decreasing trends, which are clearest in summer and induced by the weakening land rainfall. This study highlights the diff erences in the Chl-a dynamics among regions around the Shandong Peninsula and is helpful for further studies of coupled physical-ecological-human interactions at multiple scales.     

A COMPARISON OF EASTERN AND WESTERN HONG KONG PHYTOPLANKTON FROM WEEKLY SAMPLES (1997-1999)

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Influence of a Flood Event on Salinity and Nutrients in the Changshan Archipelago Area (Northern Yellow Sea)

River discharge can deliver nutrients to the coastal zone and change the hydrologic properties of the water column. Soon after a flash flood from the Yalu River (Northeast China) in August 2010, we investigated the salinity and nutrient concentrations, as well as other environmental conditions in the Changshan Archipelago area, located approximately 100 km west of the river mouth in the northern Yellow Sea. Diluted water was mainly observed in the upper layers shallower than 15 m, with surface salinity between 18.13 and 30.44 in the eastern study area and between 28.16 and 29.72 in the western area. Surface salinity showed a significant negative correlation with concentrations of dissolved nutrients (P < 0.05), but not with that of Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), dissolved oxygen (DO), particulate materials or pH. The average concentrations of nitrite, nitrate, and silicic acid decreased from the surface layer to bottom layer and were significantly higher in the east area than in the west area (P < 0.05). In contrast, average ammonium and phosphate concentrations were highest in the bottom layer of both areas, with no significant spatial differences. DO varied between 6.06 and 8.25 mg L-1 in the surface layer, and was significantly higher in the eastern area than in the western area in the surface and middle layers. Chl-a concentration was constantly below 4.09 μg L-1. Our work demonstrated the strong influences of Yalu River on proportions of various nutrient components in the Changshan Archipelago area. Silicic acid and total inorganic nitrogen levels were significantly elevated comparing to phosphate in the eastern area. Such changes can potentially induce phosphate limit to phytoplankton growth.     

Phytoplankton abundance and community structure in the Antarctic polar frontal region during austral summer of 2009

The Antarctic polar front region in the Southern Ocean is known to be most productive. We studied the phytoplankton community structure in the Indian sector at this frontal location during late austral summer (February, 2009) onboard R/V Akademic Boris Petrov. We used the phytoplankton and microheterotrophs abundance, as also the associated physico-chemical parameters to explain the low phytoplankton abundance in the study region. This study emphasizes the shift of phytoplankton, from large (>10 μm) to small (<10 μm) size. The phytoplankton abundance appears to be controlled by physical parameters and by nutrient concentrations and also by the microheterotrophs (ciliates and dinoflagellates) which exert a strong grazing pressure. This probably reduces small (<10 μm) and large (>10 μm) phytoplankton abundance during the late austral summer. This study highlights the highly productive polar front nevertheless becomes a region of low phytoplankton abundance, due to community shifts towards pico-phytoplankton (<10 μm) during late austral summer.     

Zooplankton Distribution in Coastal Water off Gopalpur,North-Western Bay of Bengal

An interannual study on zooplankton abundance, biomass, and species composition was carried out during different seasons in two local coastal water types off Gopalpur, north-western Bay of Bengal. Although, Type-1 was observed with higher zooplankton abundance in comparison to Type-2, pattern of variation followed similar seasonal trends in both water types during individual years. Well pronounced seasonality was observed in zooplankton distribution. Zooplankton community was composed of 217 holoplankton and 22 meroplankton. The holoplankton community was predominated by copepod in terms of species diversity and abundance followed by hydrozoa, tintinnida, malacostraca, gastropoda, chaetognatha and chordata. The meroplankton were represented by larval forms viz. bivalve veliger, brachyuran zoea larvae, caridean larvae, copepod nauplii, fish egg and gastropod veliger. Dominance of copepod species viz. Acrocalanus longicornis, Paracalanus aculeatus and Paracalanus parvus were observed frequently in both water types. The species richness was higher in Type-1 in comparison to Type-2 during both the years. Salinity regimes and availability of phytoplankton prey influenced the distribution and species composition of zooplankton assemblage.     

Phytoplankton assemblage structure shaped by key environmental variables in the Pearl River Estuary,South China

Spatial distribution and temporal dynamics of phytoplankton community and their relationships with environmental factors were studied in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), South China, in three seasons. Salinity was considered as the key environmental variable controlling horizontal distributions of phytoplankton community composition. A transition from dominance of freshwater diatoms (Aulacoseira granulata and A. granulata v. angustissima) to estuarine species (Skeletonema costatum and Pseudonitzschia delicatissima) was observed in the high flow season (summer) along the estuary gradient; in the low flow season (spring), the inner estuary was relatively homogeneous and some typical estuarine species could be found near the river mouth. In the normal flow season (autumn), a potentially toxic bluegreen species, Microcystis spp. was predominant in the middle reaches of the estuary, which should be seeded from upstream and transported downstream by river discharges. Phytoplankton abundance was negatively correlated with suspended solid content and nutrient concentration in the PRE, suggesting that turbidity and nutrient availability were the crucial factors regulating the algal biomass. Phytoplankton abundance in the outer estuary was enhanced by increasing irradiance and continued to be enhanced until phosphorus-limitation.     

Distributions of picophytoplankton and phytoplankton pigments along a salinity gradient in the Changjiang River Estuary,China

We investigated the abundance of different picophytoplankton groups and the phytoplankton pigment ratio in relation to environmental factors such as nutrients and suspended solids along a salinity gradient in the Changjiang River Estuary. The average numbers of Synechococcus spp.(Syn) and picoeukaryotes(Euk) were(2.7 ±5.1) ×103 and(1.1±1.4) ×103 cells m L-1, respectively. Prochlorococcus spp.(Pro) was only found in the high-salinity brackish water with the concentration of 3.0×103 cells m L-1. Syn and Euk numbers both tended to increase offshore and Syn showed a larger variation in cell abundance than Euk. The contribution of picophytoplankton to total phytoplankton biomass increased with increasing salinity and decreasing nutrient concentrations from the estuary to the open ocean. The response of different picophytoplankton groups to environmental variables was different. Water temperature was more important in its control over Euk than over Syn, while nutrients were more important in their influence over Syn than over Euk. Phytoplankton pigment ratios were different in the three different ecological zones along the salinity gradient(i.e., freshwater zone with 0-5 range, fresh and saline water mixing zone with 5-20 range, and high-salinity brackish water zone with 20-32 range), where three different phytoplankton communities were discovered, suggesting that phytoplankton pigment ratios can be considered as a complementary indicator of phytoplankton community structure in the Changjiang River Estuary.     

Bloom forming species of phytoplankton in two coastal waters in the Southeast coast of India

The results of an investigation carried out during June 2005 to May 2007 on bloom-forming phytoplankton species composition and abundance in the Parangipettai and Coleroon coastal waters(Southeast coast of India) are reported.Air and surface water temperatures(℃) varied from 25.1 to 30.1 and 24.5 to 28.5,respectively,in the former waters and from 25.5 to 31.2 and 25.0 to 29.3 in the latter waters.The respective salinities varied from 6.0 to 28.5 and 5.0 to 33.1 and the respective pH ranged between 7.0 and 8.3 and 7.2 and 8.3.Correspondingly,the dissolved oxygen content varied from 3.1 to 7.5 and 3.1 to 7.9 mgL-1 while the light extinction coefficient(LEC) values ranged between 3.1 and 10.1 and 1.8 and 11.0.The content ranges of inorganic nutrients,i.e.,nitrate,nitrite,phosphate and silicate(μmolL-1),in the Parangipettai and Coleroon coastal waters were:6.5-27.0;1.0-8.9;0.1-3.0 and 15.0-140 and 10.1-23.4;1.2-8.9;0.2-3.1 and 55-125 respectively.The chlorophyll a contents in both waters ranged from 2.0-7.5 μgL-1.Presently,124 phytoplankton species representing different classes were recorded in the Coleroon coast,viz,Bacillariophyceae(77);Dinophyceae(19);Cyanophyceae(15);Chlorophyceae(10) and Chrysophyceae(3),whereas 117 phytoplankton species were recorded in the Parangipettai coast,viz,Bacillariophyceae(66);Dinophyceae(22);Cyanophyceae(19);Chlorophyceae(7) and Chrysophyceae(3).The phytoplankton cell abundance in the Parangipettai and Coleroon coastal waters varied from 290 to 111662 and 140 to 132 757 cells L-1,respectively,with peak diversity(3.38 and 3.52 bits ind-1.) recorded in summer.The maximum abundance occurred in summer coinciding with the stable hydrographical conditions.The seasonal distribution and abundance of phytoplankton are discussed in relation to hydrographical parameters.Totally 31 and 24 species of phytoplankton were found to be bloom-forming in the Parangipettai and Coleroon coastal waters,respectively.Presently Trichodesmium bloom was also observed,which appeared at the 10 fathom level of the coastal water and quickly spread to the marine zone of the Vellar estuary and near the mouth region of the mangrove waters.The Parangipettai and Coleroon coastal waters are subject to long term fluctuations in physico-chemical conditions depending upon the seasonal tidal range and freshwater influx,resulting in a continuous exchange of organic,inorganic,plant and animal matters.