Abstract
During 1980/1981, a twelve month study was carried out on the phytoplankton of Lough Corrib, a large freshwater lake in western Ireland. Cell counts indicated low phytoplankton productivity and this was reflected in low chlorophyll a values and high Secchi readings. Diatoms predominated in spring and were succeeded by blue-green algae in late summer. The spring diatom crop was apparently limited by either silicate or nitrogen. Mineral uptake by rooting macrophytes and benthic algae and phosphate recycling as a result of bottom sediment disturbance may be important elements in the nutrient cycling regime of the lake. Differences in morphology between the upper and lower basins of the lake are reflected, to some extent, in species composition and areal productivity.
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Mooney, E.P. A study of Lough Corrib, western Ireland and its phytoplankton. Hydrobiologia 175, 195–212 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00006090
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00006090