The Use of Pigment Signatures to Assess Phytoplankton Assemblage Structure in Estuarine Waters

The seasonal dynamics of chlorophyll a and the main accessory pigments accompanied by microscopic observations on live and fixed material were investigated in the Urdaibai estuary, Spain. Fucoxanthin was the dominant pigment during the peak in chlorophyll a, with which it was strongly correlated. Concentrations of fucoxanthin (81·30 μg l⁻¹) in the upper estuary were amongst the highest found in the literature, and were mainly associated with diatoms and symbiotic dinoflagellates. In the lower estuary, fucoxanthin showed values typical of coastal waters (<5 μg l⁻¹) and was mainly due to diatoms and prymnesiophytes. Chlorophyllb concentration was high along the estuary, followed the same seasonal pattern as chlorophyll a, and was associated with the presence of euglenophytes, chlorophytes and prasinophytes. High values of 19′-butanoyloxyfucoxanthin were often measured, but no organisms containing this pigment were observed in live or fixed samples. Alloxanthin and peridinin were found in low concentrations which was in agreement with cell counts of cryptophytes and peridinin-containing dinoflagellates. Two main patterns of phytoplankton assemblages were observed along the estuary. In the upper segments, during the chlorophylla maximum fucoxanthin containing algae masked the other algal groups, which were relatively more abundant during or after enhanced river flows. In the lower estuary, although dominated by fucoxanthin-containing algae, the other algal groups were important all year around. In this study, the use of diagnostic pigments has provided considerable insight into the temporal and spatial dynamics of phytoplankton assemblages by detecting phytoplankton taxa generally underestimated or overlooked by microscopy.