Optical properties of the red tide in Isahaya Bay,southwestern Japan: Influence of chlorophyll a concentration

Remote sensing reflectance [R _rs(λ)] and absorption coefficients of red tides were measured in Isahaya Bay, southwestern Japan, to investigate differences in the optical properties of red tide and non-red tide waters. We defined colored areas of the sea surface, visualized from shipboard, as “red tides”. Peaks of the R _rs(λ) spectra of non-red tide waters were at 565 nm, while those of red tides shifted to longer wavelengths (589 nm). The spectral shape of R _rs(λ) was close to that of the reciprocal of the total absorption coefficient [1/a(λ)], implying that the R _rs(λ) peak is determined by absorption. Absorption coefficients of phytoplankton [a _ph(λ)], non-pigment particles and colored dissolved organic matter increased with increasing chlorophyll a concentration (Chl a), and those coefficients were correlated with Chl a for both red tide and non-red tide waters. Using these relationships between absorption coefficients and Chl a, variation in the spectrum of 1/a(λ) as a function of Chl a was calculated. The peak of 1/a(λ) shifted to longer wavelengths with increasing Chl a. Furthermore, the relative contribution of a _ph(λ) to the total absorption in red tide water was significantly higher than in non-red tide water in the wavelength range 550–600 nm, including the peak. Our results show that the variation of a _ph(λ) with Chl a dominates the behavior of the R _rs(λ) peak, and utilization of R _rs(λ) peaks at 589 and 565 nm may be useful to discriminate between red tide and non-red tide waters by remote sensing.     

Phytoplankton productivity in the western subarctic gyre of the North Pacific in early summer 2006

We deployed a profiling buoy system incorporating a fast repetition rate fluorometer in the western subarctic Pacific and carried out time-series observations of phytoplankton productivity from 9 June to 15 July 2006. The chlorophyll a (Chl a) biomass integrated over the euphotic layer was as high as 45–50 mg Chl a m⁻² in the middle of June and remained in the 30–40 mg Chl a m⁻² range during the rest of observation period; day-to-day variation in Chl a biomass was relatively small. The daily net primary productivity integrated over the euphotic layer ranged from 144 to 919 mg C m⁻² day⁻¹ and varied greatly, depending more on insolation rather than Chl a biomass. In addition, we found that part of primary production was exported to a 150-m depth within 2 days, indicating that the variations in primary productivity quickly influenced the organic carbon flux from the upper ocean. Our results suggest that the short-term variability in primary productivity is one of the key factors controlling the carbon cycle in the surface ocean in the western subarctic Pacific.     

Spatial variability of phytoplankton absorption coefficients and pigments off Baja California during November 2002

We have estimated the spatial variability of phytoplankton specific absorption coefficients (a* _ph ) in the water column of the California Current System during November 2002, taking into account the variability in pigment composition and phytoplankton community structure and size. Oligotrophic conditions (surface Chl < 0.2 mg m⁻³) dominated offshore, while mesotrophic conditions (surface Chl 0.2 to 2.0 mg m⁻³) where found inshore. The specific absorption coefficient at 440 [a* _ph (440)] ranged from 0.025–0.281 m²mg⁻¹ while at 675 nm [a* _ph (675)] it varied between 0.014 and 0.087 m²mg⁻¹. The implementation of a size index based on HPLC data showed the community structure was dominated by picoplankton. This would reduce the package effect in the variability of a* _ph (675). Normalized a _ph curves were classified in two groups according to their shape, separating all spectra with peaks between 440 and 550 nm as the second group. Most samples in the first group were from surface layers, while the second group were from the deep chlorophyll maximum or deeper. Accessory photoprotective pigments (APP) tended to decrease with depth and accessory photosynthetic pigments (APS) to increase, indicating the importance of photoprotective mechanisms in surface layers and adaptation to low light at depth. Samples with higher ratios of APP:APS (>0.4) were considered as phytoplankton adapted to high irradiances, and lower ratios (<0.26) as adapted to low irradiances. We found a good relationship between APP:APS and a* _ph (440) for the deeper layer (DCM and below), but no clear evidence of the factors causing the variability of a* _ph (440) in the upper layer.     

Importance of intracellular Fe pools on growth of marine diatoms by using unialgal cultures and on the Oyashio region phytoplankton community during spring

We report on the ability for luxury Fe uptake and the potential for growth utilizing intracellular Fe pools for 4 coastal centric diatom isolates and in situ phytoplankton assemblages, mainly composed of diatoms. Iron uptake of the diatom isolates and natural phytoplankton assemblages in the Oyashio region during spring blooms were prevented by adding hydroxamate siderophore desferrioxamine B (DFB). After the addition of DFB, intracellular Fe in the diatom isolates supported 2.4–4.2 cell divisions with 1.2–2.6 Chl a doublings. The intracellular Fe was primarily used for cell generation rather than Chl a production, leading to a reduction in the Chl a cell quota in the Fe-starved cells with time. The metabolic properties of the Fe-starved cells with their cell morphologies were different among species or genera. An on-deck incubation experiment also exhibited 1.9 cell divisions and 0.81 Chl a doublings of phytoplankton after the addition of DFB, also indicating the preference of cell generation over Chl a production. A decrease in the level of cellular Chl a, a main light-harvesting pigment in Fe-starved diatoms, may become a superior survival strategy to protect the cells from high irradiance that can cause photo-oxidative damages through photosynthesis. Such relatively low-Fe with high-light conditions could often occur in surface waters of the Oyashio region from spring to summer.     

Numerical study of baroclinic tides in Luzon Strait

The spatial and temporal variations of baroclinic tides in the Luzon Strait (LS) are investigated using a three-dimensional tide model driven by four principal constituents, O₁, K₁, M₂ and S₂, individually or together with seasonal mean summer or winter stratifications as the initial field. Barotropic tides propagate predominantly westward from the Pacific Ocean, impinge on two prominent north-south running submarine ridges in LS, and generate strong baroclinic tides propagating into both the South China Sea (SCS) and the Pacific Ocean. Strong baroclinic tides, ∼19 GW for diurnal tides and ∼11 GW for semidiurnal tides, are excited on both the east ridge (70%) and the west ridge (30%). The barotropic to baroclinic energy conversion rate reaches 30% for diurnal tides and ∼20% for semidiurnal tides. Diurnal (O₁ and K₁) and semidiurnal (M₂) baroclinic tides have a comparable depth-integrated energy flux 10–20 kW m⁻¹ emanating from the LS into the SCS and the Pacific basin. The spring-neap averaged, meridionally integrated baroclinic tidal energy flux is ∼7 GW into the SCS and ∼6 GW into the Pacific Ocean, representing one of the strongest baroclinic tidal energy flux regimes in the World Ocean. About 18 GW of baroclinic tidal energy, ∼50% of that generated in the LS, is lost locally, which is more than five times that estimated in the vicinity of the Hawaiian ridge. The strong westward-propagating semidiurnal baroclinic tidal energy flux is likely the energy source for the large-amplitude nonlinear internal waves found in the SCS. The baroclinic tidal energy generation, energy fluxes, and energy dissipation rates in the spring tide are about five times those in the neap tide; while there is no significant seasonal variation of energetics, but the propagation speed of baroclinic tide is about 10% faster in summer than in winter. Within the LS, the average turbulence kinetic energy dissipation rate is O(10⁻⁷) W kg^{− 1} and the turbulence diffusivity is O(10⁻³) m²s⁻¹, a factor of 100 greater than those in the typical open ocean. This strong turbulence mixing induced by the baroclinic tidal energy dissipation exists in the main path of the Kuroshio and is important in mixing the Pacific Ocean, Kuroshio, and the SCS waters.     

Influences of Nutrient Outwelling from the Mangrove Swamp on the Distribution of Phytoplankton in the Matang Mangrove Estuary, Malaysia

Distributions of dissolved nutrients and Chl. a were investigated in the Sangga Besar River Estuary in the well-managed Matang Mangrove Forest in West Malaysia. In the estuary, spring tide concentrations of ammonium, silicate and phosphate were higher than those in the neap tide, which suggests that these nutrients are flushed from the mangrove area by the inundation and tidal mixing of the spring tide. Ammonium comprised over 50% of the dissolved inorganic nitrogen in the spring tide, while nitrite tended to dominate in the neap tide, indicating the predominance of nitrification inside the estuary in neap tides. Nutrient concentrations in the creek water were higher than those of estuarine water, indicating the nutrient outwelling from the mangrove swamp and ammonium regeneration from mangrove litter in the creek sediments. The maximum concentration of Chl. a in spring tides reached 80 g/l while it was below 20 g/l in the neap tides. These variations in the phytoplankton biomass and nutrients probably reflect the greater nutrient availability in the spring tide due to outwelling from the mangrove swamp and creek.     

Comparison of Chlorophyll a Concentrations Obtained with 90% Acetone and N,N-dimethylformamide Extraction in Coastal Seawater

Determinations of Chlorophyll a (Chl a) in eutrophic coastal marine waters were compared using N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and 90% acetone techniques. Measured Chl a concentrations ranged from 0.89 to 10.65 μg l₋₁ for 90% acetone extracts and from 0.97 to 12.92 μg l⁻¹ for DMF extracts, respectively, for 24 surface water samples from the Harima-nada, Seto Inland Sea, Japan. Chl a concentrations using DMF as a solvent were consistently higher than those found using 90% acetone (p < 0.001, n= 24). Chl a is thus likely to be underestimated (by 13%) when 90% acetone is used for eutrophic waters. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Spatial variability of the primary production and chlorophyll <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> concentration in the drake passage in the austral spring

The spatial distribution of the primary production (PP) and the chlorophyll a concentration (Chl) were investigated during two research cruises in the Drake Passage area in October–November of 2007 and 2008. The algorithm evaluating the integral PP (PP_int) for the water column in this area was developed based on the data on the surface chlorophyll (Chl_s) and the incident solar irradiance obtained in 2004–2008 in the Atlantic Sector of the Southern Ocean. The results obtained both by the experimental and model approaches suggested that the Polar Front (PF) region of the Drake Passage was characterized by low values of both the PP_int (<100 mg C/m² per day) and Chl_s (0.08–0.20 mg/m³) in October–November. Low values of the Chl_s and relatively high phaeophytine a concentrations indicated the winter succession state of the phytoplankton community in the Antarctic Ocean and the southern Polar Frontal Zone (PFZ). The seasonal warming of the surface water layers and the developing pycnocline resulted in a phytoplankton bloom and a Chl_s concentration of more than 1 mg/m³ in mid-November in this area and the Subantarctic waters.     

Compensatory response of the unicellular-calcifying alga <Emphasis Type="Italic">Emiliania huxleyi</Emphasis> (Coccolithophoridales,Haptophyta) to ocean acidification

Ocean acidification damages calcareous organisms, such as calcifying algae, foraminifera, corals, and shells. In this study, we made a device equipped with a Clark-type oxygen electrode and a pH-stat to examine how the most abundant calcifying phytoplankton, the coccolithophorid Emiliania huxleyi, responded to acidification and alkalization of the seawater medium. When E. huxleyi was incubated at pH 8.2, close to oceanic pH, the medium was alkalized during photosynthesis, and the alkalization rate [determined as μmol HCl added (mg Chl)⁻¹ h⁻¹] was identical to the activity of photosynthesis [determined as μmol O₂ evolved (mg Chl)⁻¹ h⁻¹]. When pH was maintained at 7.2 by the pH-stat, alkalization activity was stimulated and exceeded photosynthetic activity, resulting in an increase in the ratio of alkalization to photosynthesis (Alk/PS). On the other hand, no alkalization and photosynthesis were observed at pH 9.2. In contrast, acidification of seawater was observed in the dark because of the release of respiratory CO₂ from cells at pH 8.2–9.2, but not at pH 7.2. When orthophosphate was rapidly depleted within a day in the batch culture, intracellular calcification gradually increased, and both photosynthesis and alkalization decreased gradually. During the period the Alk/PS ratio also decreased gradually. These results indicate that E. huxleyi possesses an ability to compensate for the acidification of seawater when photosynthesis is more actively driven than respiration. These results suggest that the E. huxleyi cells may not be severely damaged by oceanic acidification during photosynthesis because of their homeostatic function to avoid negative effects on cellular activity. Finally, we concluded that E. huxleyi cells possess a buffering ability to reduce acidification effects when photosynthesis is actively driven.     

Diurnal changes in the bio-optical properties of the phytoplankton in the Alborán Sea (Mediterranean Sea)

The changes in the phytoplankton absorption properties during a diurnal cycle were investigated at one station located in the north-western area of the Alborán Sea. The experiment was performed in spring when the water column was strongly stratified. This hydrological situation permitted the establishment of a deep chlorophyll a (chl a) fluorescence maximum (DFM) which was located on average close to the lower limit of the mixed layer and the nutricline. The relative abundance of pico-phytoplankton (estimated as its contribution to the total chl a) was higher in the surface, however, micro-phytoplankton dominated the community at the DFM level. Chl a specific absorption coefficient (a*(λ)) also varied with optical depth, with a* (the spectrally average specific absorption coefficient) decreasing by 30% at the DFM depth with respect to the surface. A significant negative correlation between the contribution of the micro-phytoplankton to the total chl a and a* was obtained indicating that a* reduction was due to changes in the packaging effect. Below the euphotic layer, a* increased three-fold with respect to the DFM, which agrees with the expected accumulation of accessory pigments relative to chl a as an acclimation response to the low available irradiance. The most conspicuous change during the diurnal cycle was produced in the euphotic layer where the chl a concentration decreased significantly in the afternoon (from a mean concentration of 1.1 μg L⁻¹ to 0.7 μg L⁻¹) and increased at dusk when it averaged 1.4 μg L⁻¹. In addition, a* and the blue-to-red absorption band ratio increased in the afternoon. These results suggest that a*(λ) diurnal variability was due to increase in photo-protective and accessory pigments relative to chl a. The variation ranges of a*(λ) at 675 and 440 nm (the absorption peaks in the red and blue spectral bands, respectively) in the euphotic layer were 0.01–0.04 and 0.02–0.10 m² mg⁻¹ chl a, respectively. Approximately 30% out of this variability can be attributed to the diurnal cycle. This factor should therefore be taken into account in refining primary production models based on phytoplankton light absorption.     

Evidence of microphytobenthic roles on coastal shallow water of the Seto Inland Sea,Japan

This study describes the temporal variation of microphytobenthic biomass and its controlling factors, as well as the impact of microphytobenthic activities on coastal shallow sediment in the eastern Seto Inland Sea, Japan. The chlorophyll a (Chl a), phaeopigments and sedimentary biophilic element (C, N, P and Si) contents in surface sediments, as well as nutrient concentrations at the sediment-water interface (overlying water and pore water) were observed monthly during November 2003 to May 2005 at one site in Shido Bay (water depth ca. 7 m) and at one site in Harima-Nada (35 m). No correlation was observed between the sedimentary biophilic elements and other parameters. The maximum chlorophyll a content of 48.2 μg g^–1 was found in surface sediments under the photon flux reaching the seafloor of 537 μmol photon m^–2 s^–1 during the winter period when water transparency was the highest at station S (Shido Bay). Our results suggest that higher chlorophyll a content in surface sediment was due to the fresh microphytobenthic biomass (mainly benthic diatom). We also found a significant negative correlation between Chl a and inorganic nutrients in pore water during the low temperature period, especially silicic acid. This result suggests that the silicic acid was assimilated largely during the increase of microphytobenthic biomass in surface sediment. This study suggests that the microphytobenthic roles may have a great effect on nutrient budgets during the large supply of irradiance (winter periods) for their photosynthetic growth in shallow coastal waters.     

Iron deficiency in micro-sized diatoms in the Oyashio region of the Western subarctic Pacific during spring

In order to detect iron (Fe) stress in micro-sized (20–200 μm) diatoms in the Oyashio region, western subarctic Pacific during spring, immunological ferredoxin/flavodoxin assays were applied to samples collected from the surface layer in May 2005. Concomitantly, the community composition of the micro-sized phytoplankton and hydrographic conditions, including dissolved Fe and macronutrient concentrations, were also examined. Chlorophyll (Chl) a concentrations were <2 mg m⁻³ at all sampling stations, except at a station where the Chl a level was 9.0 mg m⁻³ and a micro-sized diatom bloom occurred. A high abundance of ferredoxin in micro-sized diatoms was detected only at a rather near-shore station where dissolved Fe and macronutrient concentrations were higher, indicating that the micro-sized diatoms did not suffer from iron deficiency. On the other hand, flavodoxin in micro-sized diatoms was often observed at the other stations, including the bloom station, where macronutrients were replete but dissolved Fe concentration was low (0.31 nM). A significant amount of chlorophyllide a, a degradation product of Chl a, was also observed at the bloom station, suggesting a decline of the diatom bloom. The micro-sized phytoplankton species at all the stations were mainly composed of the diatoms Thalassiosira, Chaetoceros, and Fragilariopsis spp. Our study indicates that micro-sized diatoms were stressed by Fe bioavailability during the spring season in the Oyashio region     

南海北部表层颗粒有机碳的季节和年际变化遥感分析

海洋颗粒有机碳（POC）是海洋固碳的一个关键参数。为了研究南海北部陆架及海盆表层POC浓度的时空分布特征以及变化趋势,本文利用2009-2011年4个季节的实测数据,对NASA发布的MODIS/AQUA卫星月平均POC遥感产品,进行了验证和校正;并利用校正后的遥感数据分析了2003-2014年POC的时空分布特征和变化趋势。发现POC遥感产品与南海北部实测数据具有较好的线性关系（R2=0.72）,但存在系统性偏高,需利用实测数据对遥感数据进行区域性校正。分析校正后的遥感数据发现,南海北部陆架POC浓度较高,平均为（33.34±8.02）mg/m3;吕宋海峡西南海域浓度较低,平均为（29.25±6.20）mg/m3;中央海盆区浓度最低,平均为（27.02±4.84）mg/m3。春夏季POC浓度较低,最低值一般出现在5月,冬季（12月至翌年1月）POC浓度达到最高。利用2003-2014年的长时间序列遥感叶绿素（Chl a）和海表温度（SST）、混合层深度（MLD）模式数据,以及实测数据对南海北部POC浓度的影响机制进行了分析。发现POC与Chl a在秋冬呈现较好的相关关系（R2=0.51）,但在春夏季较离散,表明秋冬季生物作用对POC影响较大。2003-2014年期间,POC与Chl a、MLD及SST存在明显的年际变化,但并没有显著的上升或下降趋势。     

Diatoms grow faster using ammonium in rapidly flushed eutrophic Dokai Bay,Japan

The importance of the nitrogen source for phytoplankton growth in a highly eutrophic embayment, Dokai Bay, was investigated. The DIN concentration often exceeded 100 μM of which 40–70% was NH₄ ⁺. During two incubation experiments, the natural assemblage of mainly diatoms took up NH₄ ⁺ instead of NO₃ ⁻. The growth of two Skeletonema species isolated in Dokai Bay were significantly faster on NH₄ ⁺ (1.86 and 1.27 div. d⁻¹ respectively) than on NO₃ ⁻ (1.55 and 1.04 div. d⁻¹ respectively). Our results indicated that these diatoms could grow faster by using NH₄ ⁺ compared to NO₃ ⁻ in this eutrophic bay.     

Phytoplankton biomass and size fractions in surface waters of the Australian sector of the southern ocean

We collected surface water along the 142nd E meridian from Tasmania to Antarctica in December 1999. We measured temperature, salinity and total chlorophyll a; additionally, we collected suspended particle size fractions and used fluorometric analysis to determine the quantity of chlorophyll a in each of four cell size classes: picoplankton (<3 μm), two nanoplankton fractions (3–10 μm and 10–20 μm) and microplankton (> 20 μm). Changes in temperature and salinity show that we crossed 6 water masses separated by 5 fronts. We found low abundance (<0.2 mg m⁻³) of chlorophyll in all size classes, with the exception of higher values near the continent (0.2 to 0.4 mg m⁻³). Lowest chlorophyll values (<0.1 mg m⁻³) were found in the Polar Frontal Zone (51° to 54°S). Microplankton made up the largest portion of total chlorophyll throughout most of the region. We conclude that biomass of all phytoplankton fractions, especially pico-and nanoplankton, was constrained by limiting factors, most probably iron, throughout the region and that ecosystem dynamics within a zone are not circumpolar but are regionalized within sectors.     

Monitoring the carbon dioxide mixing ratio in the troposphere and the methane total column over Siberia according to the data of the AIRS and IASI IR sounders

The development of the AIRS (EOS/Aqua) and IASI (MetOp) satellite hyperspectral IR sounders opens new opportunities for determining the average tropospheric carbon dioxide concentration (X_CO2 X_{CO_2 } ) and total methane content (Q_CH4 Q_{CH_4 } ) in the atmosphere from large distances, which is important in climatic studies and since the ground network for CO₂ and CH₄ observations is scarce. The improved scheme for X_CO2 X_{CO_2 } retrieval from the AIRS data, which was used to construct the X_CO2 X_{CO_2 } spatial distribution based on the AIRS data for July 2003 and 2010 covering Siberia, is presented. A similar methodology was also used to retrieve instantaneous X_CO2 X_{CO_2 } values from the cloud-cleared IASI data for July 7, 2008 and the YAK-AEROSIB experimental region. A comparison of the satellite data with quasi-synchronous aircraft observations gives an error of about 2.2 million⁻¹. The iterative physical algorithm was developed in order to retrieve Q_CH4 Q_{CH_4 } . The efficiency of the proposed algorithm was estimated during the experiments with actual IASI data covering the Siberian region during several days in July 2008. The Q_CH4 Q_{CH_4 } estimates were validated by comparing them with the spatially superimposed and quasi-synchronous Q_CH4 Q_{CH_4 } , estimates based on the AIRS data. The standard deviations of both types of estimates are not more than 3%.     

East-west distribution of POC fluxes estimated from <Superscript>234</Superscript>Th in the northern North Pacific in autumn

Observations of primary productivity, ²³⁴Th, and particulate organic carbon (POC) were made from west to east across the northern North Pacific Ocean (from station K2 to Ocean Station Papa) during September–October 2005. Primary productivities in this region varied longitudinally from approximately 236 to 444 mgC m⁻²d⁻¹ and clearly indicate the West High East Low (WHEL) trend. We estimated east-west variations in the POC flux from the surface layer (0–100 m) by using ²³⁴Th as a tracer. POC fluxes in the western region (44–53 mgC m⁻²d⁻¹) were higher than those in the eastern region (21–34 mgC m⁻²d⁻¹). However, the export ratios (e-ratios) ranged from approximately 8% to 16% and did not show the WHEL trend. Contrary to our expectation, no relation between POC flux (or e-ratio) and diatom biomass (or dominance) was apparent in autumn in the northern North Pacific.     

沉积物捕获器在海岸与陆架沉积动力研究中的应用:以罗源湾和台湾海峡为例

运用时间序列的沉积物捕获器对海岸与陆架海域沉降颗粒物进行采集,估算沉降通量,并运用多学科综合研究手段分析沉降颗粒物的来源、组成、时空变化及控制因素,可以为海岸与陆架沉积动力过程的研究提供新的研究手段。福建罗源湾的实验表明,夏季罗源湾潮下带小潮至中潮期间的沉降通量为133.20~256.18g/(m2·t);由中潮向大潮变化期间单个潮周期的沉降通量明显增大,台风过后的大潮期间的沉降通量为373.99~590.51g/(m2·t);台风显著影响期间的沉降通量为746.34g/(m2·t);粒度分析及水动力观测结果显示,观测期间罗源湾潮下带沉降颗粒物主要来源于海底沉积物的再悬浮。台湾海峡西北部内陆架海域的实验研究表明,该海域近底部悬浮颗粒物沉降通量最大值为13.34g/(m2·d),由小潮向中潮沉降通量逐渐增大,这主要是由于近底部温盐跃层层位上移,近底部垂向混合作用增强,致使底部再悬浮沉积物向上扩散,并最终被沉积物捕获器捕获。沉积物捕获器可以接收到再悬浮沉积物,结合底部边界层过程的观测研究,可以深入认识海底沉积物的侵蚀、沉降及埋藏过程,在研究海岸与陆架区沉积动力学、泥质区沉积记录的形成过程与保存潜力中扮演着十分重要的角色。     

印尼爪哇上升流海域次表层叶绿素最大值层的浮游植物色素分布特征

Upwelling occurs on the coast of Java between June and October, forced by local alongshore winds associated with the southeasterly monsoon. This causes variations in phytoplankton community composition in the upwelling zone compared with the surrounding offshore area. Based on pigments analysis with subsequent calculations of group contributions to total chlorophyll a(Chl a) using CHEMTAX, we studied the distribution and composition of phytoplankton assemblages in the subsurface chlorophyll maximum along the south coast of Java and the influence of upwelling. Nineteen phytoplankton pigments were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography, and CHEMTAX analysis associated these to ten major phytoplankton groups. The phytoplankton community in the coastal area influenced by upwelling was characterized by high Chl a and fucoxanthin concentrations, indicating the dominance of diatoms. In contrast, in the offshore area, the Chl a and fucoxanthin concentrations declined to very low levels and the community was dominated by haptophytes represented by 19′-Hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin. Accordingly, microphytoplankton was found to be the major size class in the coastal area influenced by upwelling, while nanophytoplankton was most abundant in the offshore area. Low concentrations of other accessory pigments indicated less contribution from dinoflagellates,prasinophytes, chlorophytes and cryptophytes. Photo-pigment indices revealed that photosynthetic carotenoids(PSCs) were the largest component of the pigment pool, exceeding the proportion of Chl a, with the average PSCTP up to 0.62. These distribution trends can mainly be explained by phytoplankton adaption strategies to upwelling and subsurface conditions by changing species composition and adjusting the pigment pool.     

Variabilité spatio-temporelle de la biomasse microphytobenthique en rade de Brest et en Manche occidentale

Microphytobenthic biomass was estimated in the Bay of Brest (1994) and the western English Channel (Trezen Vraz, 1993) using spectrophotometry. Best results (42 % difference) were obtained with an instantaneous extraction procedure at room temperature, compared with the cold extraction procedure. Chlorophyll biomass in sediment was higher in the western English Channel (65–215 mg Chl a m⁻²) than in the Bay of Brest (10–113 mg Chl a m⁻²), in contrast to total pigment biomass (Chl a + pheo a : 88–254 mg m⁻² at Trezen Vraz vs. 131–934 mg m⁻² in the Bay of Brest). This study emphasized decreasing pigment biomass from the estuary to the open sea. Low benthic pigment biomass in the Bay, compared to eutrophic ecosystems, agrees with previous studies on the pelagic system, suggesting that there is no eutrophication in the Bay of Brest. Microphytobenthic blooms were strongly correlated with environmental factors, such as river floods, light intensity, water temperature and the spring/neap tidal cycle. Turbidity and light could be limiting factors at Roscanvel, i.e. the deepest site facing gyre circulation. The latter would favour sedimentation of silt particles at the sediment-water interface. Microphytobenthos population dynamics would be also dependent on the spring/neap tidal cycle, since maximum chlorophyll biomass occurred at neap tides at all three sites in the Bay of Brest, in contrast to the western English Channel. Lower temporal variations of pigment biomass in sediment were observed in the Channel, compared with the Bay of Brest; maximum chlorophyll biomass in sediment was found to occur three to four weeks after the phytoplankton blooms.