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Phytoplankton spatial distribution on the Continental Shelf off Rio de Janeiro, from Paraíba do Sul River to Cabo Frio

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Abstract

Given the heterogeneous oceanographic conditions observed in the continental shelf and slope off Rio de Janeiro, the phytoplankton community is expected to adapt to the diverse trophic conditions using distinct strategies. Considering the C-S-R triangle, distinct phytoplankton taxa are expected to occur in Tropical Water (TW), in South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) and in Coastal Water (CW). The study area extends from Paraíba do Sul River mouth to the region of Cabo Frio. Samples were collected on 28 stations, in 2011 austral summer. 209 phytoplankton taxa were observed, mainly dinoflagellates (93), diatoms (71), and coccolitophores (30). TW dominated the surface waters of the continental shelf and slope, and a typical tropical phytoplankton community, composed by stress-tolerant taxa, was observed. The rise in nitrate concentration caused by SACW uplift in the shelf and in the continental slope, at subsurface waters, and in silicate, associated with the Paraíba do Sul riverine plume, led to shifts in the phytoplankton community, increasing the contribution of ruderal taxa. The grouping of phytoplankton assemblages only in traditional groups would result in loss of information about the factors that determine community dynamics since the different species in each of these groups frequently share specific traits.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by MCTI (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation) in cooperation with the Brazilian Navy who offered specialized personnel and equipment. The authors are grateful to the anonymous reviewers whose opinions improved the article. Robson Alves Takanohashi, Domênica Teixeira de Lima and Mariana Chagas Braz received grants for CAPES and FAPERJ.

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  1. Faculdade de Oceanografia (FAOC), Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), São Francisco Xavier st., 524 Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Gleyci A. O. Moser, Robson Alves Takanohashi, Mariana de Chagas Braz, Domênica Teixeira de Lima, Fabiana Vasconcelos Kirsten, Josefa Varela Guerra & Alexandre M. Fernandes

  2. Laboratório de Biogeoquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brigadeiro Trompowski S/N Centro de Ciências da Saúde-Galeão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Ricardo César Gonçalves Pollery

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  1. Gleyci A. O. Moser
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Moser, G.A.O., Takanohashi, R.A., de Chagas Braz, M. et al. Phytoplankton spatial distribution on the Continental Shelf off Rio de Janeiro, from Paraíba do Sul River to Cabo Frio. Hydrobiologia 728, 1–21 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1791-3

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