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Ecological Studies in the Coastal Waters of Mauritania pp 119–131Cite as

Patterns in pelagic and benthic nanoflagellate densities in the coastal upwelling system along the Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania

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Part of the book series: Developments in Hydrobiology 86 ((DIHY,volume 86))

Abstract

We studied spatial variation in abundance of marine benthic and pelagic heterotrophic nanoflagellates in relation to abundances of autotrophic flagellates, bacteria and cyanobacteria in an upwelling area off the Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania.

There was enormous spatial variation in densities. In the sediments these ranged from 8-219 x 103 cm-3 for heterotrophic flagellates. Maximum values are in the range of those for temperate shallow marine bottoms. Low densities (>20 x 103) were confined to the deep stations (< 1000 m). Over the shelf (10-100 m depth) densities were high but related to grain size rather than to concurrent upwelling phenomena or to the abundance of benthic macrofauna.

Pelagic flagellate abundance appeared to be more indicative of contemporary hydrographie conditions, most obvious by an increase in the ratio heterotrophic/autotrophic nanoflagellates away from the area of most intense upwelling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands

    R. P. M. Bak & G. Nieuwland

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  1. R. P. M. Bak
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  2. G. Nieuwland
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W. J. Wolff J. van der Land P. H. Nienhuis P. A. W. J. de Wilde

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© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Bak, R.P.M., Nieuwland, G. (1993). Patterns in pelagic and benthic nanoflagellate densities in the coastal upwelling system along the Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania. In: Wolff, W.J., van der Land, J., Nienhuis, P.H., de Wilde, P.A.W.J. (eds) Ecological Studies in the Coastal Waters of Mauritania. Developments in Hydrobiology 86, vol 86. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1986-3_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1986-3_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4877-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-1986-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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