Abstract
Community composition, biomass and primary production of phytoplankton were studied in the east- ernmost section of the Westerschelde estuary in 1984. Photosynthetic characteristics were compared with distribution of some dominant phytoplankton species along a salinity gradient from 5 to 22‰ Spring phytoplankton, with Cyclotella meneghiniana (freshwater) and Skeletonema costatum (marine) as the dominant species grew faster than summer phytoplankton. In summer, biomass achieved its maximum, due to the riverine Scenedesmus species and the marine diatoms Thalassiosira levanderi and Ditylum brightwellii, as dominants. Growth conditions were more favourable to phytoplankton communities above 15%, than below this salinity. The data were compared with previous studies (1972) of species composition in the area.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alpine, A. E. & J. E. Cloern, 1988. Phytoplankton growth rates in a light-limited environment, San Francisco Bay. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 44: 167–173.
Bakker, C. & N. De Pauw, 1974. Comparison of brackish water assemblages of identical salinity ranges in an estuarine tidal (Westerschelde) and stagnant (Lake Veere) environment (SW Netherlands). I. Phytoplankton. Hydrobiol. Bull. 8: 179–189.
Bakker, C., P. M. J. Herman & M. Vink, 1990. Changes in seasonal succession of phytoplankton induced by the storm surge barrier in the Oosterschelde (SW Netherlands). J. Plankton Res. 12: 947–972.
De Pauw, N., 1974. Bijdragen tot de kennis van milieu en plankton in het Westerschelde estuarium. Volumes 1, 2 and 3. PhD thesis, State University Ghent, 680 pp.
Drebes, G., 1974. Marines phytoplankton. Georg Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart, 180 pp.
Herman, P. M. J., H. Hummel, M. Bokhorst & A. G. A. Merks, 1991. The Westerschelde: interaction between eutrophication and chemical pollution? In M. Elliott & J. P. Ducrotoy (eds), Estuaries and coasts: spatial and temporal intercomparisons. Proc. ECSA 19, Caen. Olsen & Olsen, International Symposium Series, Fredensborg: 359–364.
Jackson, R. H., P. J. Le B. Williams & I. Joint, 1987. Freshwater phytoplankton in the low salinity region of the river Tamar estuary. Estuar. coast. Shelf Sci. 25: 299–311.
Laws, E. A. & T. T. Bannister, 1980. Nutrient- and lightlimited growth of Thalassiosira fluviatilis in continuous culture, with implications for phytoplankton growth in the ocean. Limnol. Oceanogr. 25: 457–473.
Luoma, S. N. & D. J. H. Phillips, 1988. Distribution, variability, and impacts of trace elements in San Francisco Bay. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 19: 413–425.
Mallin, M. A. & H. W. Paerl, 1992. Effects of variable irradiance on phytoplankton productivity in shallow estuaries. Limnol. Oceanogr. 37: 54–62.
Marshall, H. G. & R. Lacouture, 1986. Seasonal patterns of growth and composition of phytoplankton in the lower Chesapeake Bay and vicinity. Estuar. coast. Shelf Sci. 23: 115–130.
Morris, A. W., A. J. Bale & R. J. M. Howland, 1981. Nutrient distributions in an estuary: evidence of chemical precipitation of dissolved silicate and phosphate. Estuar. coast. Shelf Sci. 12: 205–216.
Morris, A. W., D. H. Loring, A. J. Bale, R. J. M. Howland, R. F. C. Mantoura & E. M. S. Woodward, 1982. Particle dynamics, particulate carbon and the oxygen minimum in an estuary. Oceanol. Acta. 5: 349–353.
Pankow, H, 1976. Algenflora der Ostsee. II. Plankton. VEB Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena. 493 pp.
Parsons, T. R., Y. Maita & C. M. Lalli, 1984. A manual of chemical and biological methods for seawater analysis. Pergamon Press, Oxford, New York, Toronto, Sydney, Paris, Frankfurt, 173 pp.
Randall, J. M. & J. W. Day, 1987. Effects of river discharge and vertical circulation on primary production in a turbid Louisiana (USA) estuary. Neth J. Sea Res. 21: 231–242.
Rijstenbil, J. W., 1987. Phytoplankton composition of stagnant and tidal ecosystems in relation to salinity, nutrients, light and turbulence. Neth. J. Sea Res. 21: 113–123.
Rijstenbil, J. W., 1991. Indications of salinity stress in phytoplankton communities from different brackish-water habitats. In M. Elliott & J. P. Ducrotoy (eds), Estuaries and coasts: spatial and temporal intercomparisons. Proc. ECSA 19, Caen. Olsen & Olsen, International Symposium Series, Fredensborg: 107–110.
Rijstenbil, J. W. & J. J. Sinke, 1989. The influence of salinity fluctuation on the ammonium metabolism of the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum grown in continuous culture. J. Plankton Res. 11: 297–315.
Sanders, J. G. & S. J. Cibik, 1988. Response of Chesapeake Bay phytoplankton communities to low levels of toxic substances. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 19: 439–444.
Strickland, J. D. H. & T. R. Parsons, 1972. A practical handbook of seawater analysis. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. Bull. 167: 1–311.
Uncles, R. J., J. A. Stephens & M. L. Barton, 1991. The nature of near-bed currents in the upper reaches of an estuary. In M. Elliott & J. P. Ducrotoy (eds), Estuaries and coasts: spatial and temporal intercomparisons. Proc. ECSA 19, Caen. Olsen & Olsen, International Symposium Series, Fredensborg: 43–47.
Van den Berg, C. M. G., P. J. M. Buckley, Z. Q. Huang & M. Nimmo, 1986. An electrochemical study of the speciation of copper, zinc and iron in two estuaries in England. Estuar. coast. Shelf Sci. 22: 479–486.
Van den Berg, C. M. G., A. G. A. Merks & E. K. Duursma, 1987. Organic complexation and its control of dissolved concentrations of copper and zinc in the Scheldt estuary. Estuar. coast. Shelf Sci. 24: 785–797.
Vegter, F. & P. R. M. de Visscher, 1984. Phytoplankton primary production in brackish Lake Grevelingen (SW Netherlands) during 1976–1981. Neth. J. Sea Res. 18: 246–259.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rijstenbil, J.W., Bakker, C., Jackson, R.H. et al. Spatial and temporal variation in community composition and photosynthetic characteristics of phytoplankton in the upper Westerschelde estuary (Belgium, SW Netherlands). Hydrobiologia 269, 263–273 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00028025
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00028025