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Phytoplankton pigment patterns and community composition in the northern South China Sea during winter

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Abstract

Phytoplankton pigment patterns and community composition were investigated in the northern South China Sea using high-performance liquid chromatography and the CHEMTAX software from February 11 to 23, 2009. We recognized four different vertical distribution patterns of pigments: chlorophyll a (Chi a)-like type, divinyl chlorophyll a (DV Chi a) type, even distribution type, and surface type. The average value of ratios of accessory photo-protective pigments (APP) to accessory photo-synthetic pigments was 0.89±0.63 in the upper 50 m and 0.16±0.06 below 50 m depth. With increasing depth, APP decreased and photo-synthetically active radiation was attenuated. There was an obvious succession in the phytoplankton community from inshore to the open sea. Diatoms were dominant in the inshore region, while pelagophytes, Prochlorococcus, cyanobacteria and prymnesiophytes were dominant in the open sea. The vertical distribution of phytoplankton also differed greatly from inshore to the open sea. In the coastal and shelf region, diatoms were important components in the whole water column. Cyanobacteria also had a high abundance at the Subsurface Chlorophyll a Maxima (SCM) in the shelf region. In the slope and open sea, Prochlorococcus and cyanobacteria were important groups above the SCM, while pelagophytes dominated below the SCM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China

    Hongchang Zhai  (翟红昌), Xuexi Tang  (唐学玺) & Jing Qiao  (乔静)

  2. Second Institute of Oceanography, SOA, Hangzhou, 310012, China

    Hongchang Zhai  (翟红昌), Xiuren Ning  (宁修仁), Qiang Hao  (郝锵) & Fengfeng Le  (乐凤凤)

  3. State Key Lab of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics, Hangzhou, 310012, China

    Xiuren Ning  (宁修仁)

Authors
  1. Hongchang Zhai  (翟红昌)
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  2. Xiuren Ning  (宁修仁)
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  3. Xuexi Tang  (唐学玺)
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  4. Qiang Hao  (郝锵)
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  5. Fengfeng Le  (乐凤凤)
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  6. Jing Qiao  (乔静)
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Correspondence to Xuexi Tang  (唐学玺).

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Supported by the Key Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 90711006)

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Zhai, H., Ning, X., Tang, X. et al. Phytoplankton pigment patterns and community composition in the northern South China Sea during winter. Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 29, 233–245 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-011-0111-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-011-0111-x

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