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Phytoplankton succession and the formation of a deep chlorophyll maximum in a hypertrophic volcanic lake

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Abstract

Deep chlorophyll maxima (DCM) are a common feature of poorly mixed, low-productivity lakes, but are less commonly observed in eutrophic systems. This study investigates the transition from a late-spring surface chlorophyll maximum (SCM) to an early summer DCM in a hypertrophic lake, identifying the phenology and mechanisms responsible for the transition and how the DCM was maintained in this hypertrophic system. Data and samples were collected weekly during summer and monthly in winter at five sampling stations in monomictic Lake Ōkaro, North Island, New Zealand. Additional samples were collected on two occasions at c. 3–5 h intervals over 24 h at a single station, corresponding to periods with a SCM and DCM, respectively. The mean DCM depth was correlated with mean thermocline depth, and euphotic depth (z eu) continuously exceeded the depths of both the DCM and thermocline. The decline in the SCM and the transition to a DCM population were coincident with a gradual depletion of dissolved inorganic nutrients in surface waters and increased light penetration into the nutrient-rich hypolimnion. This study demonstrated that there are similarities between DCMs in lakes of high and low productivity, relating to the interplay between light, nutrients and thermal stratification.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (UOWX0505; Lake Biodiversity Restoration). The authors thank Barry O’Brien (University of Waikato) for the SEM, Marie Dennis (SCION) for assistance with phytoplankton identification and enumeration, and Weimin Jiang (Cawthron) for assistance with contour plots. We thank Hedy Kling (Algal Taxonomy & Ecology Inc) and Glenn McGregor (Queensland Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts) for assistance in the identification of the unknown colonial phytoplankton.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand

    Bernard Simmonds, Susanna A. Wood, Deniz Özkundakci & David P. Hamilton

  2. AgResearch, Invermay Agriculture Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand

    Bernard Simmonds

  3. Cawthron Institute, Private Bag 2, Nelson, 7042, New Zealand

    Susanna A. Wood

  4. Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 301, 12587, Berlin, Germany

    Deniz Özkundakci

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  1. Bernard Simmonds
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Correspondence to Bernard Simmonds.

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Simmonds, B., Wood, S.A., Özkundakci, D. et al. Phytoplankton succession and the formation of a deep chlorophyll maximum in a hypertrophic volcanic lake. Hydrobiologia 745, 297–312 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-014-2114-z

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