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Phytoplankton Size and Taxonomic Composition in a Temperate Estuary Influenced by Monsoon

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Abstract

Temporal and spatial variations in phytoplankton in Asan Bay, a temperate estuary under the influence of monsoon, were investigated over an annual cycle (2004). Phytoplankton blooms started in February (>20 μg chl l−1) and continued until April (>13 μg chl l−1) during the dry season, especially in upstream regions. The percentage contribution of large phytoplankton (micro-sized) was high (78–95%) during the blooms, and diatoms such as Skeletonema costatum and Thalassiosira spp. were dominant. The precipitation and freshwater discharge from embankments peaked and supplied nutrients into the bay during the monsoon event, especially in July. Species that favor freshwater, such as Oscillatoria spp. (cyanobacteria), dominated during the monsoon period. The phytoplankton biomass was minimal in this season despite nutrient concentrations that were relatively sufficient (enriched), and this pattern differed from that in tropical estuaries affected by monsoon and in temperate estuaries where phytoplankton respond to nutrient inputs during wet seasons. The flushing time estimated from the salinity was shorter than the doubling time in Asan Bay, which suggests that exports of phytoplankton maximized by high discharge directly from embankments differentiate this bay from other estuaries in temperate and tropical regions. This implies that the change in physical properties, especially in the freshwater discharge rates, has mainly been a regulator of phytoplankton dynamics since the construction of embankments in Asan Bay.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are indebted to Dr. J. E. Cloern (Co-Editors-in-Chief), Dr. C. L. Gallegos (Associate Editor), and two anonymous reviewers whose suggestions greatly improved the manuscript of this paper. This work was supported by grant no. R012003-000-10080-0 of the Basic Research Program of the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation, and by a Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF) grant from the Korean government (MEST) (R01-2008-000-20388-0).

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  1. Bonggil Hyun

    Present address: Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute/South Sea Institute, Jangmok, 656-830, South Korea

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Ocean System Engineering, Mokpo National Maritime University, Mokpo, 530-729, South Korea

    Yongsik Sin, Bonggil Hyun & Quang-Dung Bach

  2. Department of Environmental Engineering, Kwangju University, Kwangju, 502-703, South Korea

    Sungryull Yang

  3. Department of Oceanography, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, South Korea

    Chul Park

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  1. Yongsik Sin
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Correspondence to Yongsik Sin.

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Sin, Y., Hyun, B., Bach, QD. et al. Phytoplankton Size and Taxonomic Composition in a Temperate Estuary Influenced by Monsoon. Estuaries and Coasts 35, 839–852 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-011-9470-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-011-9470-y

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