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Comparative Analysis of Phytoplankton Composition and Abundance over a Two-Decade Period at the Land–Ocean Boundary of a Tropical Mangrove Ecosystem

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An Erratum to this article was published on 05 December 2009

Abstract

Inter-annual variations of phytoplankton abundance and community organization were observed over a two-decade period along with the ancillary parameters at the land–ocean boundary associated with the Sundarban mangrove forest (21°32′ and 22°40′ N and 88°05′ and 89° E), along the NE Coast of the Bay of Bengal. The number of definable Bacillariophyceae species exceeded Dinophyceae taxa, and the total number of bloom-forming species declined from a maximum of ten in 2000 and a minimum of two in 2007. Blooms of the diatom Coscinodiscus radiatus were common in 2000 and 2007. Tide cycles and the onset of the monsoon season played important roles in diurnal and seasonal variability of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton biovolume showed seasonality, with the highest levels during post-monsoon periods and lowest levels during the monsoon period. Phytoplankton abundance was correlated to rainfall patterns, which may be altered by long-term changes in climate.

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Acknowledgments

Prof. T. K. Jana is grateful to the AGU (American Geophysical Union) for travel grant for attending the Chapman Conference held at Rovinj, Croatia, on 8–12 October 2007. Authors are grateful to Prof. Edward Phlips, University of Florida for his kind help to improve and edit the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Science, Calcutta University, 35, B. C. Road, Kolkata, 700019, India

    Haimanti Biswas, Mitali Dey, Dipnarayan Ganguly, Tarun K. De, Sandip Ghosh & Tapan K. Jana

  2. B.P.Poddar Institute of Management and Technology, 137, VIP Road, Kolkata, 700052, India

    Sandip Ghosh

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  1. Haimanti Biswas
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  2. Mitali Dey
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  3. Dipnarayan Ganguly
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  4. Tarun K. De
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  5. Sandip Ghosh
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  6. Tapan K. Jana
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Correspondence to Tapan K. Jana.

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An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12237-009-9245-x

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Biswas, H., Dey, M., Ganguly, D. et al. Comparative Analysis of Phytoplankton Composition and Abundance over a Two-Decade Period at the Land–Ocean Boundary of a Tropical Mangrove Ecosystem. Estuaries and Coasts 33, 384–394 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-009-9193-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-009-9193-5

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