196,044 research outputs found

    Structure and photosynthetic properties of phytoplankton assemblages in a highly dynamic system, the Northern Adriatic Sea

    No full text
    The photosynthetic properties of phytoplankton populations as related to physicalechemical variations on small temporal and spatial scales and to phytoplankton size structure and pigment spectra were investigated in the Northern Adriatic Sea off the Po River delta in late winter 1997. Large diatoms (fucoxanthin) dominated the phytoplankton in the coastal area whereas small phytoflagellates (mainly 19-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin, chlorophyll b, 19-butanoyloxyfucoxanthin) occurred outside the front. The front was defined by the steep gradient in density in the surface layer separating low-salinity coastal waters from the offshore waters. Physical features of the area strongly influenced phytoplankton biomass distributions, composition and size structure. After high volumes of Po River discharge several gyres and meanders occurred in the area off the river delta in February. Decreasing river discharge and the subsequent disappearance of the gyres and the spreading dilution of the river plume was observed in March. The dynamic circulation of February resulted in high photosynthetic capacity of the abundant phytoplankton population (>3.40 mg m-3). In March, the slow circulation and an upper lowsalinity water layer, segregated from the deeper layers, resulted in lack of renewal of this water mass. The huge phytoplankton biomass, up to 15.77 mg chl a m-3, became nutrient depleted and showed low photosynthetic capacity. In February, an exceptionally high PmaxB, 20.11 mg C (mg chl a)-1 h-1 was recorded in the Po River plume area and average PmaxB was three-fold in February as compared to the March recordings, 10.50 mg C (mg chl a)-1 h-1 and 3.22 mg C (mg chl a)-1 h-1, respectively. The extreme variability and values of phytoplankton biomass in the innermost plume area was not always reflected in primary production. Modeling of circulation patterns and water mass resilience in the area will help to predict phytoplankton response and biomass distributions. In the frontal area, despite a considerable variability in environmental conditions, our findings have shown that the phytoplankton assemblages will compensate for nutrient depression and hydrographic constraints, by means of size and taxonomic composition and, as a result, the variability in the photosynthetic capacity was much less pronounced than that observed for other parameters

    The role of platelet ice microalgae in seeding phytoplankton blooms in Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea, Antarctica): a mesocosm experiment.

    No full text
    The aim of this study was to assess the role of platelet ice microalgal communities in seeding pelagic blooms. Nutrient dynamics, microalgal biomass, photosynthetic parameters, cell densities and species succession were studied in two mesocosm experiments, designed to simulate the transition of microalgal communities from platelet ice habitat to pelagic conditions. The microalgal assemblages were dominated by diatoms, 70% of which were benthic species such as Amphiprora kufferathii, Nitzschia stellata, and Berkeleya adeliensis. Photoacclimation of benthic species was inadequate also at relatively low irradiances. Exceptional growth capacity at different light levels was observed for pelagic species such as Fragilariopsis cylindrus and Chaetoceros spp. which may be important in seeding blooms at ice breakup. Fragilariopsis cylindrus showed high growth rates both at 65 and 10% of incident light and in nutrient replete as well as in nutrient depleted conditions. Five days after inoculation, phytoplankton biomass increased and nutrient concentrations decreased in both light conditions. Nutrient uptake rates were up to 9.10 lmol L-1 d-1 of TIN in the high light tank and 6.18 lmol L-1 d-1 in the low light tank and nutrient depletion in the high light tank occurred 3 days prior to depletion in the low light tank. At nutrient depletion, biomass concentrations were similar in both tanks, 30 and 34 lg Chla L-1

    Photoacclimation in Antarctic bottom ice algae: an experimental approach

    No full text
    The aim of the study was to investigate the capacity of microalgae from the extremely low light habitat of bottom ice to acclimate to different light conditions. During austral spring 1997 the bottom layer of land-fast ice in Terra Nova Bay displayed high values of microalgal biomass up to 2,400 lg Chla L-1 concentrated in a few centimetres ice layer. The algal assemblage was dominated by benthic pennate diatoms. Photoacclimation of the microalgae was addressed in terms of pigment spectra and photosynthetic parameters. Immediate and long term (minutes to days) changes in the photoprotective pigments (DD-cycle) were analysed. Severe photodamage occurred in microalgal assemblages exposed to high light. However, part of the bottom ice algal community showed a notable ability to acclimate to high irradiance levels. Changes in photosynthetic parameters preceded the sudden abrupt changes in pigment synthesis and the rapid increase in biomass and growth rates

    Structure and photosyntetic properties of phytoplankton assemblages in a highly dynamic system, the Northern Adriatic Sea

    No full text
    The photosynthetic properties of phytoplankton populations as related to physicalechemical variations on small temporal and spatial scales and to phytoplankton size structure and pigment spectra were investigated in the Northern Adriatic Sea off the Po River delta in late winter 1997. Large diatoms (fucoxanthin) dominated the phytoplankton in the coastal area whereas small phytoflagellates (mainly 190-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin, chlorophyll b, 190-butanoyloxyfucoxanthin) occurred outside the front. The front was defined by the steep gradient in density in the surface layer separating low-salinity coastal waters from the offshore waters. Physical features of the area strongly influenced phytoplankton biomass distributions, composition and size structure. After high volumes of Po River discharge several gyres and meanders occurred in the area off the river delta in February. Decreasing river discharge and the subsequent disappearance of the gyres and the spreading dilution of the river plume was observed in March. The dynamic circulation of February resulted in high photosynthetic capacity of the abundant phytoplankton population (>3.40 mg m3). In March, the slow circulation and an upper lowsalinity water layer, segregated from the deeper layers, resulted in lack of renewal of this water mass. The huge phytoplankton biomass, up to 15.77 mg chl a m3, became nutrient depleted and showed low photosynthetic capacity. In February, an exceptionally high Pmax B , 20.11 mg C (mg chl a)1 h1 was recorded in the Po River plume area and average Pmax B was three-fold in February as compared to the March recordings, 10.50 mg C (mg chl a)1 h1 and 3.22 mg C (mg chl a)1 h1, respectively. The extreme variability and values of phytoplankton biomass in the innermost plume area was not always reflected in primary production. Modeling of circulation patterns and water mass resilience in the area will help to predict phytoplankton response and biomass distributions. In the frontal area, despite a considerable variability in environmental conditions, our findings have shown that the phytoplankton assemblages will compensate for nutrient depression and hydrographic constraints, by means of size and taxonomic composition and, as a result, the variability in the photosynthetic capacity was much less pronounced than that observed for other parameters

    Dr. Duane M. Jackson, Morehouse College, July 2011

    No full text
    This video is a conversation with Dr. Duane M. Jackson. Dr. Jackson talks about his paper, "Recall and the Serial Position Effect: The Role of Primacy and Recency on Accounting Students' Performance." Jackie Daniel, AUC Woodruff Library, is the interviewer
    corecore