Constraints on the use of phytoplankton as a biological quality element within the Water Framework Directive in Portuguese waters

The European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD), a new regulation aiming to achieve and maintain a clean and well-managed water environment, refers to phytoplankton as one of the biological quality elements that should be regularly monitored, and upon which the reference conditions of water quality should be established. However, the use of phytoplankton as a biological quality element will result in several constraints, which are analyzed in this article with examples from Portuguese waters. Specifically, the establishment of reference conditions of water quality may be difficult in some water bodies for which no historical data exists. The sampling frequency proposed for phytoplankton monitoring does not seem suitable to assess phytoplankton succession, and may preclude the detection of algal blooms. Finally, the use of chlorophyll a as a proxy of phytoplankton biomass and abundance has been proposed by some authors, but it may overlook blooms of pico- and small nanophytoplankton, and overestimate the importance of large microphytoplankton. Furthermore, most studies in Portugal have used only inverted microscopy for phytoplankton observation and quantification; this method does not permit the distinction between autotrophic and heterotrophic cells, especially in samples preserved with Lugol's solution, and does not allow the observation of smaller-sized cells. Finally, some techniques, such as remote sensing and chemotaxonomic analysis, are proposed to be used as supplements in phytoplankton monitoring programs.     

倒置显微镜拍照法对浮游植物计数的稳定性分析

准确定量分析湖泊河流中浮游植物群落结构对评价湖泊河流健康和保障人类饮水安全至关重要.显微镜镜检法是定量分析浮游植物群落结构的唯一方法,但不能满足浮游植物计数分析要求.在Utermhl倒置计数管视野法基础上提出倒置显微镜拍照法,使用拍照法对小球藻、四尾栅藻、斜生栅藻3种纯藻样品和鄱阳湖野外样品计数得到:1)在5、10倍物镜下拍照因浮游植物个体太小导致计数不准确,在20、40倍物镜下拍照计数准确,增加拍照次数可较好地避免计数偏差,拍照次数是影响拍照法计数分析的主要因素; 2)小球藻、四尾栅藻、斜生栅藻在20和40倍物镜下分别拍摄5和10张照片时每升浮游植物计数稳定;鄱阳湖野外样品在20和40物镜倍下分别拍摄5、10张照片时每升浮游植物计数稳定; 3)倒置显微镜拍照法比计数框行格法、目镜视野法、目镜行格法和Utermhl倒置计数管视野法计数稳定,变异系数最小为0.812.     

Patterns of asynchrony for phytoplankton fluctuations from reservoir mainstream to a tributary bay in a giant dendritic reservoir (Three Gorges Reservoir, China)

Seasonal fluctuations of phytoplankton have often been regarded as one of the important cyclic events in aquatic ecosystems, and have even been emphasized as an important sign of regional climatic variability in limnology. However, few attempts have been made to examine synchrony for phytoplankton fluctuations among different habitats in a single reservoir system. The present study employed Spearman rank correlation analysis and the Mantel test to assess levels of synchrony for phytoplankton abundance and taxonomic composition from reservoir mainstream to a tributary bay (Xiangxi Bay) in a giant dendritic reservoir, China (Three Gorges Reservoir, TGR). At the selected scale, asynchronous patterns of phytoplankton were found when looking at total abundance and taxonomic composition, suggesting that regional drivers were not strong enough to synchronize phytoplankton fluctuations, and local regulators were predominant. As a riverine system, the mainstream of TGR had high levels of algal synchrony, while asynchronous patterns of phytoplankton were detected within Xiangxi Bay, which is characterized as a lacustrine system. The present study further confirmed that external hydrological disturbances strongly homogenize habitat conditions and synchronize phytoplankton fluctuations within the mainstream, while spatial divergence of phytoplankton succession depend on local habitat conditions within Xiangxi Bay. Moreover, low synchrony of phytoplankton between the mainstream and Xiangxi Bay is probably caused by spatial divergence of phytoplankton succession within Xiangxi Bay and the lack of succession in the rapidly flushed mainstream. Independently of these mechanisms possibly explaining phytoplankton fluctuations, the present study has also an applied perspective to the improvement of a long-term observation program in which phytoplankton trends at the mainstream scale could be compiled from the data set in a single site, while a set of sampling sites should be required at the Xiangxi Bay scale.     

Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus on phytoplankton composition and biomass in 15 subtropical, urban shallow lakes in Wuhan, China

This study aims at investigating the composition and biomass of the phytoplankton community in 15 urban shallow eutrophic lakes as well as the effects of main environmental factors, including nutrient concentrations and the ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus, temperature, COD, BOD, water depth, etc. on the phytoplankton community structure. Lake water samples were taken and analyzed on a bimonthly basis during the period from March 2004 to March 2006. The redundancy analysis (RDA) and regression analysis (RA) were performed to identify the effects of nutrients on the phytoplankton community and biomass in these typical urban lakes. The results indicate that most of these urban lakes were hypertrophic due to high concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN), with mean levels of 490 and 5380 mg m⁻³, respectively. The phytoplankton community was dominated by Microcystis aeruginosa and Euglena caudate in summer and Cryptomonas ovata and Cyclotella meneghiniana in winter. The mean biomass of the phytoplankton reached 456.87 mg L⁻¹ in summer months and the annual level was 189.24 mg L⁻¹. Temperature and TP content were found to be the principal limiting factors for phytoplankton growth on an annual basis. On the other hand, the results of RDA and RA demonstrate that the dominant phytoplankton species were not nutrient-limited during summer months. Low TN:TP ratios (<10) were detected accompanied with fewer occurrences of N-fixing cyanobacteria and other filamentous algae in most lakes in summer, which implies that low N:P ratio does not always shifts the dominance of phytoplankton community to the N-fixing cyanobacteria. Moreover, TP always had higher correlation with chlorophyll a (Chl-a) than TN, even when the TN:TP ratios of most samples were lower than 10. Therefore, it is concluded that the TN:TP ratio is not always a suitable index to determine whether nitrogen or phosphorus limits the phytoplankton biomass in urban shallow eutrophic lakes.     

越冬浮游植物光合作用活性的原位研究

水体中浮游植物在越冬期间数量少,关于湖泊中越冬浮游植物如蓝藻、绿藻、硅藻等浮游植物的光合作用活性情况少见报道.本实验通过Phyto-PAM(Pulse Amplitude Modulation)对最大光量子产量Fv/Fm(可变荧光和最大荧光之比)和快速光曲线的测定,结合显微镜镜检结果,并在室内进行了硫酸铜处理以及鲁哥氏液处理实验,对太湖、巢湖和玄武湖处于越冬期间的浮游植物进行了原位光合作用活性的研究.显微镜镜检结果表明太湖和玄武湖水体中以绿藻和硅藻为主,而蓝藻很少,巢湖水体中有大量蓝藻、绿藻和硅藻.Phyto-PAM在对玄武湖和太湖水样原位测定时未检测出蓝藻,而绿藻和硅藻有光合作用活性,其Fv/Fm在0.5左右;对巢湖的水体检测到的蓝藻、绿藻、硅藻都具有光合作用活性,其中绿藻和硅藻的Fv/Fm在0.5左右,蓝藻的Fv/Fm在0.3左右;用硫酸铜处理实验在巢湖水样中发现水体仅有硅藻活性(Fv/Fm下降至0.2左右),而用鲁哥氏液处理后无任何藻类光合作用活性.上述实验结果表明,即使处于越冬期间,以较多数量出现在水体中的蓝藻、绿藻和硅藻仍然具有较高的光合作用活性.     

Estuarine phytoplankton group-specific responses to sublethal concentrations of the agricultural herbicide,atrazine

Atrazine is a common agricultural herbicide that is readily transported into estuaries through surface water runoff. In this study, we determined the short-term (24-48 h) sublethal effects of atrazine on estuarine phytoplankton biomass and community composition. Phytoplankton group-specific responses to atrazine exposure (25 microgh(-1)) were measured using natural water samples collected from two locations in Galveston Bay, Texas. Addition bioassays, coupled with HPLC pigment analysis, were used to quantify changes in the relative abundances of algal groups. For all algal groups except prasinophytes, the addition of atrazine in combination with nitrate was not significantly different from nitrate additions alone. These results suggest no significant negative effect of atrazine on phytoplankton under the specified environmental conditions for the bioassays. Although low concentrations of atrazine may have minimal impacts on phytoplankton, herbicide loadings need to be further characterized before generalizations can be applied to estuarine and coastal ecosystems.     

太湖1989—1993年富营养化资料的分析

The water quality of Lake Taihu has declined markedly in the past two or three decades. We used modern non-parametric statistical methods to analyse the water quality record for 1989-1993 (samples collected at 2-monthly intervals). Phytoplankton blooms have been a particular problem, as the very high peak chlorophyll a concentrations in the Meiliang (up to 0.4 g·m^-3) and the coastal regions (up to 0.5 g·m^-3) indicate. However, over a large area of the middle of the lake, peak chlorophyll a concentrations were much lower (0.01-0.03 g·m^-3). In this deeper, turbid part of the lake there may often be insufficient underwater light to support rapid phytoplankton growth; grazing by the abundant benthic bivalves may also be important. Total phosphorus (P) concentrations in the coastal waters increased significantly (p < 5%). Suspended solids concentrations also increased significantly, and as a result transparency decreased. However, phytoplankton probably usually only account for a small proportion of the suspended material, so the parallel increase in total P and suspended solids may be coincidental. Significant increases in chlorophyll a were not observed, but phytoplankton blooms are often short-lived (e.g. days to weeks), and thus may not always be detected by the 2-monthly sampling.     

Phytoplankton community in the tropical lake of Lagoa Santa (Brazil): Conditions favoring a persistent bloom of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii

This study presents data on seasonal changes of the phytoplanktonic community of a small tropical lake, Lagoa Santa, in the Brazilian cerrado. Temporal variation in the community structure was small and we observed a permanent dominance of the cyanobacteria Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. This dominance could be associated to the stability of several environmental conditions. Especially water temperature, always within the optimal growth range for C. raciborskii, and the constant mixed water column may have been important factors driving to the long term dominance of this species in the lake. Remarkable seasonal variation in rainfall, as well as the occasional and non-seasonal variation in nutrient concentrations, were important to explain changes in environmental and biological variables, but were not related to the dominance of C. raciborskii. Pearson's correlation and PCA could just in part explain the stable dominance of this cyanobacterium. Meteorological and chemical factors seem to have no clear control on the variability of the phytoplankton dynamics in Lagoa Santa. The weak relationship between C. raciborskii abundance and environmental variables points to additional intrinsic factors associated to this species that may be important in structuring the phytoplankton assemblage.     

鳑鲏与河蚌交互作用对浮游生物和底栖生物的影响分析

放养河蚌,提高水体透明度以促进沉水植物生长,是湖泊生态修复中的常用手段之一.而小型杂食性鱼类鳑鲏依赖河蚌繁殖,河蚌放养可能会促进鳑鲏种群的发展;而鳑鲏与河蚌交互作用对水生态系统的影响仍研究较少.于2018年11 12月通过原位受控实验,设置对照组、河蚌组、鳑鲏组和河蚌+鳑鲏组,研究了鳑鲏(大鳍鱊Acheilognathus macropterus)与河蚌(背角无齿蚌Sinanodonta woodiana)对水质、浮游生物和底栖生物的影响.结果表明:鳑鲏显著增加了上覆水总氮、总磷、悬浮质和叶绿素a(Chl.a)浓度;但并未显著影响无机悬浮质的浓度,说明鳑鲏对沉积物的扰动作用较弱.此外,鳑鲏显著增加了浮游植物生物量和蓝藻的比例.浮游动物总生物量并未受鳑鲏的影响,但显著增加了浮游动物的丰度,其中以轮虫为主.鳑鲏组的底栖动物总丰度(主要为水丝蚓)显著高于对照组,说明鳑鲏对水丝蚓的摄食压力较低.鳑鲏与河蚌交互作用对总磷、Chl.a、浮游植物和浮游动物丰度具有显著影响:具体表现为河蚌虽然抵消了部分鳑鲏对水质(如氮、磷和悬浮质浓度,以及Chl.a浓度和浮游植物生物量等)的负面影响,但其对浮游动物和水丝蚓生物量的影响不显著.在湖泊生态修复和管理中,需要关注和重视鳑鲏等此类小型杂食性鱼类对水生态系统可能产生的负面影响,通过物理(网簖等)或生物(放养肉食性鱼类)等方式将其控制在较低密度水平,从而降低这些鱼类对水质、浮游生物和底栖生物群落可能产生的负面影响,维持生态修复效果的长效与稳定运行.     

Application of orthogonal design to the extraction and HPLC analysis of sedimentary pigments from lakes of the Tibetan Plateau

Sedimentary pigments are useful proxy indicators of phytoplankton biomass, community structure, primary productivity and human influence in lacustrine and oceanic ecosystems. Pigments are relatively labile due to their complex chemical structures, which makes the extraction and analysis of sedimentary pigments challenging. In addition, it is important to select appropriate methods to study sedimentary pigments in regions which lack previous investigations. In this study, we adopted the L_9(3~4) orthogonal design to develop methods of extraction and HPLC(high performance liquid chromatography) analysis of sedimentary pigments at two lakes on the Tibetan Plateau: meromictic lake-Dagze Co and dimictic lake-Jiang Co. The orthogonal design comprises 9 combinations of various parameters for extraction and HPLC analysis. The results show that the type and volume of solvent are the most important factors for pigment extraction, and the mobile phase and column selection are the most important for HPLC analysis. For the study sites, we found that the best methods to extract sedimentary pigments are as follows: the use of a mixture of acetone:methanol:water(80:15:5, v:v:v) as the extraction solvent; solvent/sample ratio of 10 m L/g; sonication for 30 s and standing extraction for 6 h. The best methods for HPLC analysis are as follows: Zorbax Eclipse plus C8 column with mobile phase A, methanol:acetonitrile:0.25 M aqueous pyridine(50:25:25, v:v:v) and mobile phase B, methanol: acetonitrile: acetone(20:60:20, v:v:v); p H of mobile phase A adjusted to 6 with acetic acid; and HPLC column temperature maintained at 40°C. The study provides an experimental basis for future investigations of past changes in primary productivity and the response of lake ecosystems to climate change and human activities on the Tibetan Plateau.     

四种浮游植物生物量计算方法的比较分析

浮游植物是水生生态系统中重要的初级生产者,其生物量是反映其现存量的关键指标.本文利用具有3个处理组的围隔实验中的浮游植物数据,对文献中常见的计算浮游植物种群生物量和群落生物量的4种方法:标准法、细分法、粗分法和资料法进行比较,并分析采用这4种不同方法得到的浮游植物生物量与叶绿素a浓度的相关性.结果表明:粗分法是计算浮游植物生物量的高效方法,能够保证准确度和节省时间;提高浮游植物生物量计算准确度不是影响浮游植物生物量与叶绿素a浓度相关性显著程度的关键.通过比较剔除稀有种(生物量不超过群落生物量5%的种类)前后浮游植物生物量的差异,发现忽略稀有种会导致种类均匀度较高的浮游植物群落生物量严重偏低,建议浮游植物生物量的计算不能一概忽略稀有种.     

Differences in zooplankton feeding rates and isotopic signatures from three temperate lakes

Bacteria and phytoplankton are integral in the mobilization and transfer of organic matter to higher trophic levels. Hence, we examined their role in zooplankton diets and assessed trends in their nitrogen isotopic variability. We performed feeding experiments with natural particulate organic matter (POM) and four zooplankton groups (Daphnia, Holopedium, large calanoids and small calanoids) to (1) examine whether there are differences in consumption (presented as clearance and ingestion rates) of phytoplankton and bacteria, and (2) determine whether differences in zooplankton clearance and ingestion rates are correlated with their δ¹⁵N isotopic signatures. In general, phytoplankton and bacteria clearance rates and biomass ingested per animal varied significantly among different zooplankton groups within lakes and between lakes for a given zooplankton group. Within a given lake, Daphnia and Holopedium had the highest phytoplankton and bacteria clearance and ingestion rates, followed by large calanoids, and then small calanoids. For a given zooplankton group, bacteria and phytoplankton clearance rates varied among lakes. In contrast, phytoplankton ingestion rates were consistently highest in Dickie Lake for all taxa, whereas bacteria ingestion rates were more variable among lakes for the different zooplankton taxa. The percentage contribution of different phytoplankton taxa to the biomass of phytoplankton ingested also varied significantly among lakes for a given taxa, but there were few differences within a given lake among zooplankton. Zooplankton δ¹⁵N_DOMC values were correlated with their size adjusted phytoplankton and bacteria clearance and ingestion rates. The correlations were stronger with (1) phytoplankton compared to bacteria, and (2) clearance rates compared to ingestion rates of biomass. Together our results suggest that zooplankton taxa with low phytoplankton and bacteria clearance and ingestion rates and higher δ¹⁵N_DOMC are likely exploiting food sources from higher trophic levels.     

采用倒置显微镜法定量浮游植物的数据稳定性

浮游植物种类组成细胞密度或生物量的现存量反映其在水生生态系统的结构与功能,准确地对水体中浮游植物进行定量是水质评价和生态功能分析的基础.针对目前国际上推荐使用的倒置显微镜法(即Utermhl计数法),通过采集处于不同营养状态和水体条件(水库和实验围隔)中的浮游植物,分析样品的显微计数量、水体营养状态对浮游植物密度和多样性等指标稳定性的影响,同时比较了多个水体中同一采样点的重复(或平行)样品之间浮游植物定量数据的差别,从而对倒置显微镜法进行较为系统的评估.结果表明,基于浮游植物的显微镜计数效率与定量数据稳定性的综合考虑,选择计数400个个体即可基本保证定量数据的稳定性;在依赖生物量或稀有种进行水质评价时,处于不同营养水平的水体均需要增加样品的平行数来提高定量数据的可靠性,贫营养型水体中单个采样的重复或平行样品更为必要;两种定量方法所得群落数据计算的辛普森指数无显著差异,说明两种方法所获得结果均能反映浮游植多样性;通过样品浓缩法和倒置显微镜法所获得的浮游植物生物量和细胞密度均具有显著差异,因样品浓缩法在样品处理过程中造成浮游植物损失,使通过样品浓缩法所得的浮游植物群落生物量及细胞密度偏小;相比浓缩法,倒置显微镜法沉淀浓缩的水样体积小,样品处理和计数耗时短,更适宜用于应急监测.     

High incorporation of carbon into proteins by the phytoplankton of the Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea

High incorporation of carbon into proteins and low incorporation into lipids were a characteristic pattern of the photosynthetic allocations of phytoplankton throughout the euphotic zone in the Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea in 2004. According to earlier studies, this indicates that phytoplankton had no nitrogen limitation and a physiologically healthy condition, at least during the cruise period from mid-August to early September in 2004. This is an interesting result, especially for the phytoplankton in the Alaskan coastal water mass-dominated region in the Chukchi Sea which has been thought to be potentially nitrogen limited. The relatively high ammonium concentration is believed to have supported the nitrogen demand of the phytoplankton in the region where small cells (<5 μm) composed of about 50% of the community, since they prefer to use regenerated nitrogen such as ammonium. In fact, a small cell-size community of phytoplankton incorporated much more carbon into proteins in nitrate-depleted water suggesting that small phytoplankton had less nitrogen stress than large phytoplankton. If the high carbon incorporation into proteins by the phytoplankton in 2004 is a general pattern of the photosynthetic allocations in the Chukchi Sea, they could provide nitrogen-sufficient food for the highest benthic faunal biomass in the Arctic Ocean, sustaining large populations of benthic-feeding marine mammals and seabirds.     

Integrated measurements of acoustical and optical thin layers I: Vertical scales of association

This study combined measurements from multiple platforms with acoustic instruments on moorings and on a ship and optics on a profiler and an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to examine the relationships between fluorescent, bioluminescent, and acoustically scattering layers in Monterey Bay during nighttime hours in July and August of 2006 and May of 2008. We identified thin bioluminescent layers that were strongly correlated with acoustic scattering at the same depth but were part of vertically broad acoustic features, suggesting layers of unique composition inside larger biomass features. These compositional thin layers nested inside larger biomass features may be a common ecosystem component and are likely to have significant ecological impacts but are extremely difficult to identify as most approaches capable of the vertical scales of measurement necessary for the identification of sub-meter scale patterns assess bulk properties rather than specific layer composition. Measurements of multiple types of thin layers showed that the depth offset between thin phytoplankton and zooplankton layers was highly variable with some layers found at the same depth but others found up to 16 m apart. The vertical offset between phytoplankton and zooplankton thin layers was strongly predicted by the fraction of the water column fluorescence contained within a thin phytoplankton layer. Thin zooplankton layers were only vertically associated with thin phytoplankton layers when the phytoplankton in a layer accounted for more than about 18–20% of the water column chlorophyll. Trophic interactions were likely occurring between phytoplankton and zooplankton thin layers but phytoplankton thin layers were exploited by zooplankton only when they represented a large fraction of the available phytoplankton, suggesting zooplankton have some knowledge of the available food over the entire water column. The horizontal extent of phytoplankton layers, discussed in the second paper in this series, is likely an important factor contributing to this selective exploitation by zooplankton. The pattern of vertical offset between phytoplankton and zooplankton layers was consistent between studies in different years and using different combinations of platforms, indicating the importance of the relationship between zooplankton layers and the fraction of phytoplankton within a layer at night within Monterey Bay. These results highlight the value of integrating measurements of various types of organisms to understand thin layers processes and the importance of assessing ecological interactions in plankton thin layers within the context of the properties of the entire water column, like the animals themselves do.     

Ammonium,nitrate and phytoplankton interactions in a freshwater tidal estuarine zone: potential effects of cultural eutrophication

Nitrate and ammonium are the most important nitrogen sources for phytoplankton growth. Differential utilization of inorganic nitrogenous compounds by phytoplankton has been observed and may have significant impacts on primary productivity at local scales. We used enrichment experiments with natural phytoplankton populations from the freshwater tidal zone of the Guadiana estuary, a coastal ecosystem increasingly subjected to anthropogenic influences, to study the effects of nitrate and ammonium on N-consumption and phytoplankton growth. In addition, we used combined additions of nitrate and ammonium to understand the inhibitory effect of ammonium over nitrate uptake. Ammonium concentrations in the freshwater tidal reaches of the Guadiana estuary throughout the sampling period were too low to exert an inhibitory effect on nitrate uptake or a toxic effect on phytoplankton growth. Nitrate was clearly the main nitrogen source for phytoplankton at the study site. Overall, nitrate seemed to become limiting at concentrations lower than 20 μM and N-limitation was particularly significant during summer. A trend of decreasing nitrate uptake with increasing ammonium concentrations and uptake suggested an overall preference for ammonium. However, preference for ammonium was group-specific, and it was observed mainly in green algae and cyanobacteria. In fact, cyanobacteria relied only on ammonium as their N-source. On the contrary, diatoms preferred nitrate, and did not respond to ammonium additions. The increasing eutrophication in the Guadiana estuary and particularly increased inputs of nitrogen as ammonium due to urban waste effluents may result in a shift in phytoplankton community composition, towards a dominance of cyanobacteria and green algae.     

陕西地区小微震震源机制研究

小微震事件的震源机制是区域应力场及诸多地球动力学研究的基础资料。陕西地区为多个地震带的交汇区,近些年积累了丰富的小微震波形资料。运用新近发展的适用于求解小微震震源机制的广义极性振幅技术(GPAT),结合陕西2015地壳速度模型,求解陕西测震台网2011年4月至2015年12月间记录的121次ML1.5~3.5事件的震源机制。反演结果表明:(1)以上事件的震源机制大部分为走滑及正断类型,其比例占64.5%;逆断型机制占22.3%。(2)反演震源机制得到的震源深度与定位深度具有良好的一致性;矩震级与近震震级间存在差别,且这种差别随事件的变小而增大。(3)对比渭河断陷带相关研究成果,验证了该区域震源机制以正断型为主,具有拉张应力状态。     

Asynchrony of spring phytoplankton response to temperature driver within a spatial heterogeneity bay of Three-Gorges Reservoir, China

The increased air temperature is expected to have important driver on spring phytoplankton dynamics. To test whether spatial heterogeneity modifies the synchronous responses of phytoplankton to regional temperature driver, we evaluate temporal coherences for physical factors (temperature, water stability and non-algal light extinction), nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and silicon), and biomass and density of phytoplankton by Pearson correlation analysis and synchrony for phytoplankton community dynamics by Mantel test and nonmetric multi-dimensional scaling (NMS), during spring bloom (February 23–April 28, 2005) within Xiangxi Bay, a high spatial gradient bay of Three-Gorges Reservoir (China). The high level of temporal coherences for surface water temperature (r = 0.946, p < 0.01) and relative water column stability (r = 0.750, p < 0.01) were found between pair sites (A and B), in which the increase trends occurred with increase in regional air temperature during the study period. However, the low synchrony for phytoplankton dynamics were indeed observed between Site A and B, especially for the density of common dominant taxa (Cyclotella spp.: r = 0.155, p = 0.388) and community structure (Mantel test: r = 0.351). Moreover, the local habitat characteristics such as nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) and non-algal light extinction showed low levels of temporal coherence. It indicated that local community of phytoplankton varies rather independently within the single lentic bay with high spatial heterogeneity and that dispersal of algal organisms among locations cannot overwhelm out these local dynamics. Contrary to many studies, the present results argued that, in a small geographic area (i.e., a single reservoir bay of approximately 24 km length), spatial gradients also may influence spring phytoplankton response to regional temperature driver.