Phytoplankton Ecology of the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia

1979 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 657-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. G. Stockner ◽  
D. D. Cliff ◽  
K. R. S. Shortreed
Keyword(s):  
Surface Waters ◽  
Light Attenuation ◽  
Marine Phytoplankton ◽  
Phytoplankton Production ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Heterogeneous Distribution ◽  
Phytoplankton Primary Production ◽  
Strait Of Georgia ◽  
Phytoplankton Ecology ◽  
Phytoplankton Distribution

Observations of phytoplankton production, abundance, and distribution were made at 16 stations in the Strait of Georgia from 1975 to 1977. The discharge of turbid Fraser River water exerts a strong influence on phytoplankton production and distribution in surface waters by rapid light attenuation and horizontal advection. At plume boundaries and back eddies where light conditions improve, very high production occurs (> 4–5 g C∙m−2∙d−1), because of rapidly replenished nutrients supplied by the Fraser River. Advection, turbulence, zooplankton grazing, and summer nitrate depletion collectively impart a heterogeneous distribution pattern to phytoplankton in the surface waters of the Strait of Georgia. Mean annual production varies from lows of 150 g C∙m−2 in Fraser River plume to highs of over 500 g C∙m−2 in sheltered boundary waters of inlets. Recent increases in ammonia and nitrate from land drainage and domestic sewage, mainly through the Fraser River, are related to increases in phytoplankton standing stocks in the Strait. Key words: phytoplankton, primary production, eutrophication, coastal marine, phytoplankton distribution and succession, chlorophyll a, pelagic

Phytoplankton Production and Distribution in Howe Sound, British Columbia: A Coastal Marine Embayment–Fjord Under Stress

1977 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 907-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
John G. Stockner ◽  
David D. Cliff ◽  
Douglas B. Buchanan
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Surface Layer ◽  
Light Attenuation ◽  
Marine Phytoplankton ◽  
Annual Production ◽  
Phytoplankton Production ◽  
Strong Light ◽  
Strait Of Georgia ◽  
Coastal Marine ◽  
Production And Distribution

Phytoplankton production and distribution were examined over a 2-yr period in relation to man-induced and natural factors that stress the system by mainly affecting the light regime in surface layer(s) of Howe Sound, British Columbia. Production rate and biomass values were greatest at the seaward boundary of the Sound where surface waters mix with the Strait of Georgia. Production decreases linearly in an up-inlet direction, reaching minimum values at the head of the Sound where the influence of the turbid Squamish River discharge is greatest. Annual production in the boundary waters of the Sound for 1973 and 1974 was 300 and 516 g C∙m−2, compared to an average of 118 and 163 for remaining stations. Strong light attenuation by the turbid Squamish River and flushing by the seaward moving surface layer were considered the most important factors controlling phytoplankton production and distribution in Howe Sound. Colored effluent from two pulp mills and turbid mine tailings and gravel washing water were minor perturbants to the system as a whole, but in affected bays and subregions of the Sound their effects on phytoplankton production were considerable. Annual production in Howe Sound was slightly higher than values for the Strait of Georgia and considerably greater than estimates from the North Pacific. Key words: phytoplankton, production, fjord–embayment, coastal marine, phytoplankton distribution, succession

Collection and analysis of a global marine phytoplankton primary production dataset

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Mattei ◽  
Michele Scardi
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Marine Phytoplankton ◽  
Phytoplankton Production ◽  
Phytoplankton Primary Production ◽  
Heterogeneous Information ◽  
Marine Food Webs ◽  
In Situ Data ◽  
Earth’S Climate

Phytoplankton primary production is a key oceanographic process. It has intimate relationships with the marine food webs dynamics, the global carbon cycle and the Earth’s climate. The study of phytoplankton production on a global scale relies on indirect approaches due to the difficulties associated with field campaigns. On the other hand, modelling approaches require in situ data for both calibration and validation. In fact, the need for more phytoplankton primary production data was highlighted several times during the last decades.Most of the available primary production datasets are scattered in various repositories, reporting heterogeneous information and missing records. For these reasons we decided to retrieve field measurements of marine phytoplankton primary production from several sources and create a homogeneous and ready to use dataset. We handled missing data and added several variables related to primary production which were not present in the original datasets. Subsequently, we carried out a general analysis of the dataset in which we highlighted the relationships between the variables from a numerical and an ecological perspective.Data paucity is one of the main issues hindering the comprehension of complex natural processes.In this framework, we believe that an updated and improved global dataset, complemented by an analysis of its characteristics, can be of interest to anyone studying marine phytoplankton production and the processes related to it.

Effects of a fluctuation in Fraser River discharge of primary production in the central Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 1015-1024 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Yin ◽  
P J Harrison ◽  
R J Beamish
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Primary Production ◽  
River Discharge ◽  
Euphotic Zone ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Phytoplankton Production ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Strait Of Georgia ◽  
Chl A ◽  
First Time

High-resolution vertical profiles of salinity, temperature, fluorescence, and nutrients (NO3 and SiO4) were taken along a transect in the central Strait of Georgia, British Columbia. The Fraser River discharge increased rapidly over 4 days and then decreased over the following 3 days (June 16-19, 1991). The thickness and extent of the estuarine plume increased as a response to the increased river discharge. As the estuarine plume flowed seaward, the nutricline (NO3) became shallower and broader, resulting in an increase in NO3 in the euphotic zone. Entrainment of NO3 may explain the increase in NO3 in the surface layer, and the amount of NO3 entrained was estimated to be 5-10 times higher than river-borne NO3. The utilization of entrained nutrients increased Chl a concentrations and primary production to levels comparable with spring bloom values. Our results clearly demonstrated for the first time that entrainment of nutrients and phytoplankton production in the central Strait of Georgia are closely coupled to fluctuations in the Fraser River discharge as the estuarine plume moves seaward. The timing and magnitude of the May-June freshet could control the entrainment of nutrients and thus maintain high primary productivity in late spring - early summer.

Phytoplankton Ecology of Vancouver Harbor

1979 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
John G. Stockner ◽  
David D. Cliff
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Layer Depth ◽  
Phytoplankton Growth ◽  
Industrial Wastes ◽  
Tidal Mixing ◽  
Phytoplankton Production ◽  
Daily Production ◽  
Inlet System ◽  
Phytoplankton Primary Production ◽  
Phytoplankton Ecology ◽  
Coastal Marine

Phytoplankton production and distribution were examined over a 2-yr period in the Burrard Inlet system, which includes a true fiord (Indian Arm), a shallow blind inlet (Port Moody Arm), and a turbulent narrows region that is contiguous to the Port of Vancouver. Greatest annual production occurred in Port Moody Arm with a mean of 532 g C∙m−2∙yr−1 while the lowest values were in Indian Arm and the Narrows region, averaging about 260 g C∙m−2∙yr−1. Nitrate and zooplankton grazing were the main factors limiting phytoplankton production in Indian Arm, while flushing and poor light conditions influenced phytoplankton growth in the Narrows and outer Burrard Inlet. Most of the discharges of domestic and industrial wastes have been diverted to the Fraser River, and Vancouver Harbor can be considered relatively clean and pollution-free because of strong tidal mixing and seaward flushing. The only sign of eutrophication in the inlet is in Port Moody Arm where sufficient nutrients from sewage discharges and a relatively stable mixed-layer depth create near optimal conditions for phytoplankton growth. Daily production here is among the highest recorded in the literature for Pacific coastal marine waters. Key words: Phytoplankton, primary production, coastal marine embayment, fiord, phytoplankton succession and distribution, chlorophyll a

Anomalous Occurrence of Carp (Cyprinus carpio) in the Marine Environment

1971 ◽  
Vol 28 (9) ◽  
pp. 1345-1347 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. E. Barraclough ◽  
D. G. Robinson
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Cyprinus Carpio ◽  
River Estuary ◽  
Vancouver Island ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Strait Of Georgia ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
Carp Cyprinus Carpio

Juvenile carp (Cyprinus carpio) were caught with a surface trawl in low salinity surface waters of the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, during July 1967. A natural environmental route is established for the possible movement of carp from the Fraser River estuary to watersheds on Vancouver Island.

Effects of Pulpmill Effluent on Phytoplankton Production in Coastal Marine Waters of British Columbia

1976 ◽  
Vol 33 (11) ◽  
pp. 2433-2442 ◽  
Author(s):  
John G. Stockner ◽  
David D. Cliff
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Skeletonema Costatum ◽  
Light Attenuation ◽  
Quantitative Difference ◽  
Axenic Culture ◽  
Marine Phytoplankton ◽  
Phytoplankton Production ◽  
Selective Absorption ◽  
Phytoplankton Assemblages ◽  
Zone Of Influence

Phytoplankton production adjacent to two kraft pulpmills in Howe Sound, British Columbia, was considerably lower than daily rates at control stations removed from the zone of influence. Average daily production at the Port Mellon mill was 29 and 24 mg C∙m−2∙day−1 in 1973 and 1974, in contrast with 332 and 367, in respective years at the control. Less difference in production was seen between Woodfibre mill and its control, because this mill is situated in a more actively flushed location. Howe Sound studies showed little qualitative or quantitative difference between chlorophyll a levels or phytoplankton assemblages among mill and control stations. Skeletonema costatum and Thalassiosira spp. were dominant phytoplankton species. Light attenuation and selective absorption of 400–500 nm wavelength light by kraft mill effluent was considered the major factor responsible for reduced production in the zone of influence. Axenic culture studies with marine phytoplankton showed that phytotoxicity occurs only at high effluent concentrations. Our laboratory experiments suggest that, given sufficient time, it is possible for phytoplankton to adapt to relatively high effluent concentrations, if pH remains normal.

Phytoplankton Primary Production and Light Attenuation Responses to the Experimental Acidification of a Small Canadian Shield Lake

1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (S1) ◽  
pp. s83-s90 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Shearer ◽  
E. J. Fee ◽  
E. R. DeBruyn ◽  
D. R. DeClercq
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
Light Attenuation ◽  
Distinct Pattern ◽  
Phytoplankton Production ◽  
Phytoplankton Primary Production ◽  
Apparent Reduction ◽  
Production Increase ◽  
Pre Treatment ◽  
Experimental Acidification ◽  
Ph Level

Phytoplankton primary production and light attenuation were monitored over a 10-yr period in Lake 223, a small, softwater, shield, lake. After 2 yr with no treatment, the lake was treated for 8 yr with sulfuric acid to decrease the epilimnetic pH from about 6.7 to 5.0. Primary production, integrated over time and depth, varied considerably during the 2 pre-treatment years. However, it increased steadily during the first 6 yr of treatment, with a total increase of more than 250%. This production increase was coincident with a decrease in epilimnetic light attenuation. After the 6th year of treatment, the production of the lake decreased although the pH level was held relatively constant during this period. Nearby control lakes tended to show a similar, though less distinct, pattern during this 10-yr period. Thus, it is difficult to separate the effects of acidification from long-term natural variation. However, there was no apparent reduction in community phytoplankton production as a consequence of the acidification and the hypothesis that acidification causes oligotrophication was not supported.

scholarly journals Collection and analysis of a global marine phytoplankton primary-production dataset

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 4967-4985
Author(s):  
Francesco Mattei ◽  
Michele Scardi
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Marine Phytoplankton ◽  
Phytoplankton Production ◽  
Phytoplankton Primary Production ◽  
Heterogeneous Information ◽  
Natural Processes ◽  
In Situ Data ◽  
Earth’S Climate

Abstract. Phytoplankton primary production is a key oceanographic process. It has relationships with marine-food-web dynamics, the global carbon cycle and Earth's climate. The study of phytoplankton production on a global scale relies on indirect approaches due to the difficulties of field campaigns. Modeling approaches require in situ data for calibration and validation. In fact, the need for more phytoplankton primary-production data was highlighted several times during the last decades. Most of the available primary-production datasets are scattered in various repositories, reporting heterogeneous information and missing records. We decided to retrieve field measurements of marine phytoplankton production from several sources and create a homogeneous and ready-to-use dataset. We handled missing data and added variables related to primary production which were not present in the original datasets. Subsequently, we performed a general analysis highlighting the relationships between the variables from a numerical and an ecological perspective. Data paucity is one of the main issues hindering the comprehension of complex natural processes. We believe that an updated and improved global dataset, complemented by an analysis of its characteristics, can be of interest to anyone studying marine phytoplankton production and the processes related to it. The dataset described in this work is published in the PANGAEA repository (https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.932417) (Mattei and Scardi, 2021).

scholarly journals Collection and analysis of a global marine phytoplankton primary production dataset

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Mattei ◽  
Michele Scardi
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Marine Phytoplankton ◽  
Phytoplankton Production ◽  
Phytoplankton Primary Production ◽  
Heterogeneous Information ◽  
Natural Processes ◽  
In Situ Data ◽  
Earth’S Climate

Abstract. Phytoplankton primary production is a key oceanographic process. It has relationships with the marine food webs dynamics, the global carbon cycle and the Earth’s climate. The study of phytoplankton production on a global scale relies on indirect approaches due to field campaigns difficulties. Modelling approaches require in situ data for calibration and validation. In fact, the need for more phytoplankton primary production data was highlighted several times during the last decades. Most of the available primary production datasets are scattered in various repositories, reporting heterogeneous information and missing records. We decided to retrieve field measurements of marine phytoplankton production from several sources and create a homogeneous and ready to use dataset. We handled missing data and added variables related to primary production which were not present in the original datasets. Subsequently, we performed a general analysis of the highlighting the relationships between the variables from a numerical and an ecological perspective. Data paucity is one of the main issues hindering the comprehension of complex natural processes. We believe that an updated and improved global dataset, complemented by an analysis of its characteristics, can be of interest to anyone studying marine phytoplankton production and the processes related to it. The dataset described in this work is published in the PANGAEA repository. DOI: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.932417 (Mattei and Scardi, 2021)

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