huxleyi

requires high P concentrations relative to N: this is what we observed in our study. E. huxleyi is a cosmopolitan species, widely distributed in both oceanic and coastal waters ( Balch et al. 1991). E. huxleyi may have an unusually high affinity for P uptake and can also use alkaline phosphatase to access dissolved organic P sources ( Riegmann et al. 2000). Here, the main environmental drivers of the phytoplankton communities were wind speed/direction NVP-BGJ398 datasheet and nutrient ratios. We propose that wind speed has a strong impact on this coastal ecosystem based on the principle that in a shallow water column (i.e. 20 m), the wind speed is proportional to the bottom stress on the ocean floor and then to the resuspension of sediment and associated nutrients. Over the course of twelve months, this study demonstrated selleckchem a typical austral-seasonal pattern in water temperature, accompanied by a similar annual cycle in phytoplankton. The main species contributing to the Chl a signal

were Pyramimonas spp., Hemiselmis sp., Gyrodinium sp., Heterocapsa rotunda, Cylindrotheca closterium, Chaetoceros spp., Chrysochromulina spp. and Emiliania huxleyi. The different phytoplankton groups showed shifts in species dominance between summer and winter, with a dominance of chlorophytes during six months of the year. It became apparent that wind speed and direction played an important role in setting the environmental conditions off Port Stanvac and subsequently on the distribution and abundance of phytoplankton species in this coastal area. In summary, our results show that in the coastal waters of the GSV, phytoplankton communities are affected by wind conditions and by changing nutrient learn more levels on a seasonal basis, which is typical of coastal environments. Nutrient enrichment of coastal waters is generally the main factor driving the succession and composition of phytoplankton communities, and further work is now needed to identify the sources of nutrients in this region, where river run-off is limited and evaporation is high relative to precipitation. This is particularly relevant in the light

of environmental studies on the impact of the Adelaide Desalination Plant, which became fully operational in early December 2012. The authors acknowledge the financial support of the National Centre of Excellence in Desalination Australia which is funded by the Australian Government through the Water for the Future initiative. The authors are grateful to Shaun Byrnes, John Luick and Charles James for their help with the sampling and processing of the oceanographic data. We would also like to thank Lorenzo Andreacchio, Satish Dogra and the crew of the r/v ‘Ngerin’ for their help during sampling trips. “
“The Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis is a well-known non-native species introduced in ballast tanks to European waters almost one hundred years ago ( Peters & Panning, 1939, Gollasch 2006).