Fluorometric discrimination technique of phytoplankton population based on wavelet analysis

The discrete excitation-emission-matrix fluorescence spectra (EEMS) at 12 excitation wavelengths (400, 430, 450, 460, 470, 490, 500, 510, 525, 550, 570, and 590 nm) and emission wavelengths ranging from 600-750 nm were determined for 43 phytoplankton species. A two-rank fluorescence spectra database was established by wavelet analysis and a fluorometric discrimination technique for determining phytoplankton population was developed. For laboratory simulatively mixed samples, the samples mixed from 43 algal species (the algae of one division accounted for 25%, 50%, 75%, 85%, and 100% of the gross biomass, respectively), the average discrimination rates at the level of division were 65.0%, 87.5%, 98.6%, 99.0%, and 99.1%, with average relative contents of 18.9%, 44.5%, 68.9%, 73.4%, and 82.9%, respectively; the samples mixed from 32 red tide algal species (the dominant species accounted for 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100% of the gross biomass, respectively), the average correct discrimination rates of the dominant species at the level of genus were 63.3%, 74.2%, 78.8%, 83.4%, and 79.4%, respectively. For the 81 laboratory mixed samples with the dominant species accounting for 75% of the gross biomass (chlorophyll), the discrimination rates of the dominant species were 95.1% and 72.8% at the level of division and genus, respectively. For the 12 samples collected from the mesocosm experiment in Maidao Bay of Qingdao in August 2007, the dominant species of the 11 samples were recognized at the division level and the dominant species of four of the five samples in which the dominant species accounted for more than 80% of the gross biomass were discriminated at the genus level; for the 12 samples obtained from Jiaozhou Bay in August 2007, the dominant species of all the 12 samples were recognized at the division level. The technique can be directly applied to fluorescence spectrophotometers and to the developing of an in situ algae fluorescence auto-analyzer for phytoplankton population.     

Fluorescence discrimination and determination technique for phytoplankton composition by Coif2 wavelet packet

An in vivo fluorescence discrimination technique for phytoplankton population was developed by using Wavelet packet transform, cluster analysis and non-negative least squares. The technique was used to analyze water samples from different sea regions. For simulative mixtures, when dominant species account for 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% at the division level, the correct discrimination ratios (CDRs) are 83.0%, 99.1%, 99.7% and 99.9% with the relative contents of 58.5%, 68.4%, 77.7% and 86.3%, respectively; when the algae dominance are 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 100% at the genus level, the CDRs are 86.1%, 94.9%, 95.2%, 96.8% and 96.7%, respectively. For laboratory mixtures, the CDRs are 88.1% and 78.4% at the division and genus level, respectively. For field samples, the CDRs were 91.7% and 80% at the division and genus level, respectively (mesocosm experiments), and the CDRs were 100% and 66.7% at the division and genus level, respectively (Jiaozhou Bay). The fluorometric technique was used to estimate the phytoplankton community composition and relative abundance of different classes for the April 2010 cruise in the Yellow Sea with the results agreeing with those in published papers by other authors.     

HPLC pigment profiles of 31 harmful algal bloom species isolated from the coastal sea areas of China

Chemotaxonomy based on diagnostic pigments is now a routine tool for macroscopic determination of the composition and abundance of phytoplankton in various aquatic environments. Since the taxonomic capability of this method depends on the relationships between diagnostic pigments and chlorophyll a of classified groups, it is critical to calibrate it by using pigment relationships obtained from representative and/or dominant species local to targeted investigation area. In this study, pigment profiles of 31 harmful algal bloom(HAB) species isolated from the coastal sea areas of China were analyzed with high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Pigment compositions, cellular pigment densities and ratios of pigments to chlorophyll a were determined and calculated. Among all these species, 25 kinds of pigments were detected, of which fucoxanthin, peridinin, 19'-butanoyloxyfucoxanthin, 19'-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin, violaxanthin, and antheraxanthin were diagnostic pigments. Cellular pigment density was basically independent of species and environmental conditions, and therefore was recommended as a bridge to compare the results of HPLC-CHEMTAX technique with the traditional microscopy method. Pigment ratios of algal species isolated from the coast of China, especially the diagnostic pigment ratios, were higher than those from other locations. According to these results, pigment ratio ranges of four classes of phytoplankton common off the coast of China were summarized for using in the current chemotaxonomic method. Moreover, the differences of pigments ratios among different species under the same culturing conditions were consistent with their biological differences. Such differences have the potential to be used to classify the phytoplankton below class, which is meaningful for monitoring HABs by HPLC-CHEMTAX.     

Multiple excitation wavelength fluorescence emission spectra technique for discrimination of phytoplankton

In vivo fluorescence methods are efficient tools for studying the distribution of phytoplankton in nature.Different algae species usually have different pigments with different ratios,which results in different fluorescence emission spectra.Based on multiple excitation wavelength fluorescence emission spectra,a discrimination technique is established in this study.The discrimination method,established by multivariate linear regression and weighted least-squares,was used to differentiate the samples cultured in the laboratory and collected from Jiaozhou Bay near Qingdao at the division level.The correctly discriminated samples were ≥ 86% for single algae samples,≥ 88% for simulatively mixed ones,≥ 91% for physically mixed ones and 100% for samples collected from Jiaozhou Bay.The result in this research is more definite for the physically mixed samples in the laboratory.The method described here can be employed to monitor the phytoplankton population in the marine environment.     

Measurement and feature analysis of absorption spectra of four algal species

Two methods for particulate pigments(i.e.,quantitative filter technique,QFT,and in vivo measurement,InVivo,respectively)and two methods for dissolved pigments(i.e.,Acetone Extracts,AceEx,and high-performance liquid chromatography,HPLC,respectively) were used to obtain the optical absorption coefficient spectra for cultures of four typical algal species.Through normalization and analysis of the spectra,it is shown that(1) the four methods are able to measure optical absorption spectra of particulate and/or dissolved pigments;(2)that the optical absorption spectra of particulate and dissolved pigments were consistent in terms of the peak position in the blue wavelength,and the difference of the peak position in the near infrared wavelength was ~10nm between each other;and(3)that the leveling effect of the absorption spectra of particulate pigments was significant.These four methods can all effectively measure the absorption coefficients of phytoplankton pigments,while each one has its unique advantages in different applications.Therefore,appropriate method should be carefully selected for various application due to their intrinsic difference.     

High-frequency acoustic backscattering characteristics for acoustic detection of the red tide species Akashiwo sanguinea and Alexandrium affine

Harmful algal blooms(HABs),caused by the overgrowth of certain phytoplankton species,have negative effects on marine environments and coastal fisheries.In addition to cell-counting methods using phytoplankton nets,a hydroacoustic technique based on acoustic backscattering has been proposed for the detection of phytoplankton blooms.However,little is known of the acoustic properties of HAB species.In this study,as essential data to support this technique,we measured the acoustic properties of two HAB species,Akashiwo sanguinea and Alexandrium affine,which occur in the South Sea off the coast of Korea.Due to the small size of the target,we used ultrasound for the measurements.Experiments were conducted under laboratory and field conditions.In the laboratory experiment,the acoustic signal received from each species was directly proportional to the cell abundance.We derived a relationship between the cell abundance and acoustic signal received for each species.The measured signals were compared to predictions of a fluid sphere scattering model.When A.sanguinea blooms appeared at an abundance greater than 3 500 cells/mL,the acoustic signals varied with cell abundance,showing a good correlation.These results confirm that acoustic measurements can be used to detect HAB species.     

Study on the phytoplankton · in a large reservoir

A comprehensive study on the community structure and function of the phytoplankton in Taipinghu Reservoir, the largest reservoir (9400 ha) in Anhui Province, China, was carried out during 1985–1986. A total of 175 species of algae belonging to 8 phyla and 87 genera was noted. The composition of phytoplankton was dominated by species of Chlorophyta, Cyanophyta and Bacillariophyta. The species number, cell density and biomass of the three groups were respectively 88%, 86.5% and 78.9% of the total phytoplankton. The weighted annual average biomass was 1.52 mg/L and cell density was 1.43×10⁶ ind/L. The growth maximum was observed in summer. Diatoms were abundant in the region adjoining a river. A large number of flagellated algae such asEuglena andChromulina occurred in the artificial fish culture bay. It can be inferred from the algal composition and total nitrogen concentration (1.48 mg/L) that this reservoir is a mesotrophic water body that had undergone slight natural eutrophication. Presented are an equation for the relation between cell density and biomass of algae and a newly developed method based on the energy flow principle in ecology for theoretically estimating algal fishery potential. The algae volumes of 128 species were measured for calculating the biomass.     

STUDY ON THE PHYTOPLANKTON.IN A LARGE RESERVOIR

A comprehensive study on the community structure and function of the phytoplankton in Taipinghu Reservoir, the largest reservoir (9400 ha) in Anhui Province, China, was carried out dur ing 1985- 1986. A total of 175 species of algae belonging to 8 phyla and 87 genera was noted. The composition of phytoplankton was dominated by species of Chlorophyta, Cyanophyta and Bacillariophyta. The species number, cell density and biomass of the three groups were respectively 88%, 86.5% and 78.9% of the total phytopiankton. The weighted annual average biomass was 1.52 mg/L and cell density was 1.43 x 106 ind/L. The growth maximum was observed in summer. Diatoms were abundant in the region adjoining a river. A large number of flagellated algae such as Euglena and Chromulina occurred in the artificial fish culture bay.It can be inferred from the algal composition and total nitrogen concentration (1.48mg/L) that this reservoir is a mesotrophic water body that had undergone slight natural eutrophication.Presented are an     

Abundance, biomass and composition of spring ice algal and phytoplankton communities of the Laptev Sea （Arctic）

Abundance,biomass and composition of the ice algal and phytoplank-ton communities were investigated in the southeastern Laptev Sea in spring 1999.Diatoms dominated the algal communities and pennate diatoms dominated the dia-tom population.12 dominant algal species occurred within sea ice and underlyingwater column,including Fragilariopsis oceanica,F.cylindrus,Nitzschiafrigida,N.promare,Achnanthes taeniata,Nitzschia neofrigida,Naviculapelagica,N.vanhoef fenii,N.septentrionalis,Melosira arctica,Clindrothecaclosterium and Pyrarnimonas sp.The algal abundance of bottom 10 cm sea icevaried between 14.6 and 1562.2×10~4 ceils l~(-1)with an average of 639.0×10~4cells l~(-1),and the algal biomass ranged from 7.89 to 2093.5μg C l~(-1)with an av-erage of 886.9μg C l~(-1),which were generally one order of magnitude higherthan those of sub-bottom ice and two orders of magnitude higher than those ofunderlying surface water.The integrated algal abundance and biomass of lower-most 20 cm ice column were averagely 7.7 and 12.2 times as those of upper 20 mwater column,respectively,suggesting that the ice algae might play an importantrole in maintaining the coastal marine ecosystem before the thawing of sea ice.Icealgae influenced the phytoplankton community of the underlying water column.However,the“seeding”of ice algae for phytoplankton bloom was negligible be-cause of the iow phytoplankton biomass within the underlying water column.     

Diversity and community structure of eukaryotic microalgae in surface sediments in the central Bohai Sea,China, based on a metabarcoding approach

Sediment samples were collected at 17 stations in the central Bohai Sea, China, and the diversity and community structure of eukaryotic microalgae were assessed by metabarcoding the V4 region of 18S rDNA. A total of 930 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were detected for microeukaryotes, including 98 algal OTUs. The algal communities comprised 42 genera belonging to 19 classes of six phyla, and they were dominated by chrysophytes and dinoflagellates. Dinoflagellates were also the most diverse microalgal group. The nano-sized dinoflagellates Biecheleria halophila and Azadinium trinitatum occurred abundantly in the study area; however, they have not been reported previously, as they may be overlooked or misidentified in light microscopy. Many pico-sized chlorophytes were detected in the sediment samples. Sixteen of the detected OTUs were assigned to potentially harmful and/or bloom-forming microalgae, suggesting some potential risks of harmful algal blooms in the central Bohai Sea. The capacity of metabarcoding to detect morphologically cryptic and small species makes this method a sufficiently sensitive means of detection for assessing eukaryotic microalgae in sediments.

     

Seasonal change of ice algal and phytoplankton assemblages in the Nella Fjord near Zhongshan Station, East Antarctica

The ice algal and phytoplankton assemblages were studied from Nella Fjord near Zhongshan Station, East Antarctica from April 12 to December 30, 1992. Algal blooms occurred about 3 cm thick on the bottom of sea ice in late April and mid November to early December respectively, and a phytoplankton bloom appeared in the underlying surface water in mid December following the spring ice algal bloom. The biomass in ice bottom was 1 to 3 orders of magnitude higher than that of surface water. Amphiprora kjellmanii, Berkeleya sp., Navicula glaciei, Nitzschia barkelyi, N. cylindrus /N. curta, N. lecointei and Nitzschia sp. were common in the sea ice temporarily or throughout the study period. The biomass in a certain ice segment was decreased gradually and the dominant species were usually succeeded as the season went on. Nitzschia sublineata and Dactyliosolen antarctica were two seasonal dominant species only observed in underlying water column. The assemblages between bottom of ice and underlying surface water were different except when spring ice algae bloomed. The evidence shows that the ice algal blooms occurred mainly by in situ growth of ice algae, and the phytoplankton bloom was mostly caused by the release of ice algae.     

Characteristics of Phytoplankton Community Structure During and After a Bloom of the Dinoflagellate Scrippsiella trochoidea by HPLC Pigment Analysis

A bloom of the dinoflagellate Scrippsiella trochoidea was detected for the first time in inner Tolo Harbor,Hong Kong in 2 000. Water samples were collected at eight stations along a transect passing through a red tide patch for microscopic analysis of phytoplankton composition and high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) analysis of phytoplankton pigments. During the bloom,the density of dinoflagellates was 1.1×106 cells L-1 within the patch and 8.6×105 cells L-1 outside the patch where the phytoplankto...     

Production of DMS and DMSP in different physiological stages and salinity conditions in two marine algae

Dimethylsulfide(DMS) and dimethylsulfoniopropionate(DMSP) production by Scrippsiella trochoidea and Prorocentrum minimum was investigated to characterize the effects of physiological stage and salinity on DMS and DMSP pools of these two marine phytoplankton species.Axenic laboratory cultures of the two marine algae were tested for DMSP production and its conversion into DMS.The results demonstrated that both algal species could produce DMS,but the average concentration of DMS per cell in S.trochoidea(12.63 fmol/L) was about six times that in P.minimum(2.01 fmol/L).DMS and DMSP concentrations in algal cultures varied significantly at different growth stages,with high release during the late stationary growth phase and the senescent phase.DMS production induced by three salinities(22,28,34) showed that the DMS concentrations per cell in the two algal cultures increased with increasing salinity,which might result from intra-cellular DMSP up-regulation with the change of osmotic stress.Our study specifies the distinctive contributions of different physiological stages of marine phytoplankton on DMSP and DMS production,and clarifies the influence of salinity conditions on the release of DMS and DMSP.As S.trochoidea and P.minimum are harmful algal bloom species with high DMS production,they might play an additional significant role in the sulfur cycle when a red tide occurs.     

Molecular Identification of Dried Shellfish Products Sold on the Market Using DNA Barcoding

The dried shellfish products with rich nutrients and low-calorie content are favorite food in China, especially in coastal areas. However, the species of dried shellfish products in the market are usually unknown, as the taxonomic features were removed during the production process. This study described the application of DNA barcoding technique to the identification of 100 dried shellfish(scallop, squid, octopus and cuttlefish) products in markets. Samples were authenticated by comparing mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I(COI) gene and 16 S ribosomal RNA(16 S rRNA) gene sequences with public reference taxonomic databases. The results showed that all the 100 products can be identified at species level. Sixty four scallop adductor products were processed using the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians, and one was from Portuguese oyster, Crassostrea angulata. All the 27 squid, 2 cuttlefish and 6 octopus products were produced by the Jumbo flying squid, Dosidicus gigas. The neighbour-joining tree is in agreement with the results of DNA barcoding analysis. The 64 scallop samples formed one A. irradians cluster, leaving Sca65 clustered with the reference oyster sequence C. angulata(MH997922). All the 35 cephalopod(squid, octopus and cuttlefish) samples formed a D. gigas cluster. This investigation revealed a low variety of dried shellfish products sold on the market, and highlighted the high rate of mislabeling and species substitution. Our present work provides a practical method for tracing and authenticating shellfish products.     

Periphyton response to nitrogen and phosphorus enrichment in a eutrophic shallow aquatic ecosystem

We examined changes in biomass and species dominance of periphyton in response to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) enrichment in 12 mesocosms representing eutrophic aquatic ecosystems. The 100-L mesocosms consisted of lake water and pond sediment, and N and P were applied weekly. Periphyton samples were taken to assess the biomass (as estimated by the concentration of chlorophyll a (chl a)) and to determine which species were dominant. The mean periphyton biomass (chl a) in the P-enriched treatment did not differ from that in the control group, but increased with N enrichment. Compared with that in the control group, the chl a concentration increased with N+P enrichment in the early stages of the experiment, but decreased in the later stages. The decline in periphyton biomass at the later stages of the experiment was due to limited light availability, which resulted from the increased phytoplankton density in the experiment. The nutrient enrichment treatments resulted in changes in the dominant algal species in the periphyton, suggesting that various algal species showed different responses to different nutrients. The results of this study have implications for nutrient management in aquatic ecosystems.     

Gaussian decomposition and component pigment spectral analysis of phytoplankton absorption spectra

The absorption spectrum of phytoplankton is an important bio-optical parameter for ocean color hyperspectral remote sensing;its magnitude and shape can be affected considerably by pigment composition and concentration.We conducted Gaussian decomposition to the absorption spectra of phytoplankton pigment and studied the spectral components of the phytoplankton,in which the package effect was investigated using pigment concentration data and phytoplankton absorption spectra.The decomposition results were compared with the corresponding concentrations of the five main pigment groups(chlorophylls a,b,and c,photo-synthetic carotenoids(PSC),and photo-protective carotenoids(PPC)).The results indicate that the majority of residual errors in the Gaussian decomposition are0.001 m~(-1),and R~2 of the power regression between characteristic bands and HPLC pigment concentrations(except for chlorophyll b)was0.65 or greater for surface water samples at autumn cruise.In addition,we determined a strong predictive capability for chlorophylls a,c,PPC,and PSC.We also tested the estimation of pigment concentrations from the empirical specific absorption coefficient of pigment composition.The empirical decomposition showed that the Ficek model was the closest to the original spectra with the smallest residual errors.The pigment decomposition results and HPLC measurements of pigment concentration are in a high consistency as the scatter plots are distributed largely near the 1:1 line in spite of prominent seasonal variations.The Wozniak model showed a better fit than the Ficek model for Chla,and the median relative error was small.The pigment component information estimated from the phytoplankton absorption spectra can help better remote sensing of hyperspectral ocean color that related to the changes in phytoplankton communities and varieties.     

凡纳滨对虾常见养殖模式下养殖后期浮游植物及理化因子的变化

对凡纳滨对虾几种常见养殖模式后期的浮游植物及理化因子进行了调查研究,结果表明,浮游植物的群落特征因养殖模式、养殖时间、不同的环境条件等原因变化很大,其群落组成由最少的11种到最多的28种不等;其优势种与次优势种中以蓝藻门、绿藻门、硅藻门为主,甲藻门、裸藻门偶有出现,主要优势种有小环藻、波吉卵囊藻、中肋骨条藻、颤藻、林氏藻、裸甲藻、胶球藻、小席藻、腔球藻等,浮游植物群落的生物多样性由高至低依次为高位池分级精养模式、海水土池粗养模式、低盐度养殖模式、咸淡水半精养模式、工厂化集约养殖模式、高位池集约养殖模式,多样性指数与优势度呈显著的负相关,而与均匀度呈显著的正相关。细胞密度485.9×104~35459.8×104L-1,在高密度精养模式中,浮游植物的密度与无机氮、硫化氢含量的变化在早期呈负相关,在后期则几乎同步增长;在低密度养殖模式中,浮游植物的密度与无机氮、硫化氢含量的变化始终呈负相关。各养殖模式pH值的变化与浮游植物的密度呈正相关。综合分析表明,高密度养殖宜采用高位池分级精养模式,低密度养殖宜采用海水土池粗养模式。     

Seasonal succession of phytoplankton in response to the variation of environmental factors in the Gaolan River, Three Gorges Reservoir, China

To understand the responses of a freshwater ecosystem to the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), phytoplankton was monitored in the tributaries of the TGR area. From August 2010 to July 2011, algal species composition, abundance, chlorophyll a and other environmental parameters were investigated in the Gaolan River, which is a tributary of Xiangxi River. Thirty-one algal genera from seven phyla were identified. Results show that the lowest concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) were 0.06 mg/L and 1.08 mg/L, respectively. The values of TP and TN exceeded the threshold concentration of the eutrophic state suggested for freshwater bodies. In the Gaolan River, the succession of phytoplankton showed clear seasonal characteristics. Different dominant species were observed among seasons under the control of environment factors. In spring and summer, the dominant species were Nitzschia sp. and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (L.) Ralfs, the limiting nutrient was NO ₃ ^? -N, and the key environmental factor for phytoplankton population succession was water temperature (WT). In autumn and winter, the dominant species were A. flos-aquae and Chlorella sp., the limiting nutrient was PO ₄ ^3? -P, and the key environmental factors were transparency and WT. This study illustrates the influence of physical and chemical factors on phytoplankton seasonal succession in a tributary of TGR since the downstream regions of Xiangxi River and Gaolan River became reservoirs after impoundment of the Three Gorges Dam. We suggest that this activity has significantly affected water quality in the dam area.     

Distribution patterns of phytoplankton in the Changjiang River estuary and adjacent waters in spring 2009

The Changjiang River estuary and adjacent waters are one of the most notable regions for red tides/harmful algal blooms in China's coastal waters.In this study,phytoplankton samples were collected and analyzed during the outbreak stage of red tides in May 2009.It was found that dinoflagellates,Prorocentrum donghaiense and Karenia mikimotoi,and diatoms,Skeletonema spp.and Paralia sulcata,were the major taxa dominating the phytoplankton community.Cluster analysis,non-metric multidimensional scaling(NMDS) and analysis of similarities(ANOSIM) was conducted on a data matrix including taxa composition and cell abundance of the phytoplankton samples.The analyses categorized the samples into three groups at a similarity level of 30%.Group Ⅰ was characterized by estuarine diatoms and distributed mainly in the highly turbid estuarine region.Group Ⅱ,which was dominated by the diatom Skeletonema spp.and represented the red tide of Skeletonema spp.,was situated around Group Ⅰ in the sea area west of 122°50'E.Group Ⅲ was characterized by a high proportion of dinoflagellates and was found further offshore compared with Groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ.Group Ⅲ was further divided into two subgroups(Ⅲ-S1 and Ⅲ-S2) at a similarity level of 40%.Group Ⅲ-S1 was characterized by the presence of the benthic diatom P.sulcata,representing phytoplankton samples collected either from the bottom or from the sea area affected by upwelling.GroupⅢ-S2 was dominated by dinoflagellates and represented red tides formed by P.donghaiense and K.mikimotoi.A gradual change of red-tide causative species was observed from the estuary to the offshore sea area,from diatoms to armored dinoflagellates and then unarmored dinoflagellates.Environmental factors associated with each group,and thus affecting the distribution of phytoplankton and red tides,are discussed.     

Temporal dynamics of phytoplankton communities in a semi-enclosed mariculture pond and their responses to environmental factors

Variations in physical-chemical factors, species composition, abundance and biomass of nano- and micro-phytoplankton assemblages, as well as their responses to environmental factors, were investigated over a complete cycle (6 months) in a semi-enclosed shrimp-farming pond near Qingdao, northern China. The aim was to establish the temporal patterns of phytoplankton communities and to evaluate protists as suitable bioindicators to water quality in mariculture systems. A total of 34 taxa with nine dominant species were identified, belonging to six taxonomic groups (dinoflagellates, diatoms, cryptophyceans, chlorophyceans, euglenophyceans and chrysophyceans). A single peak of protist abundance occurred in October, mainly due to chlorophyceans, diatoms and chrysophyceans. Two biomass peaks in July and October were primarily due to dinoflagellates and diatoms. Temporal patterns of the phytoplankton communities significantly correlated with the changes in nutrients, temperature and pH, especially phosphate, either alone or in combination with NO₃-N and NH₃-N. Species diversity, evenness and richness indices were clearly correlated with water temperature and/or salinity, whereas the biomass/abundance ratio showed a significant correlation with NO₃-N. The results suggest that phytoplankton are potentially useful bioindicators to water quality in semi-enclosed mariculture systems.