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ANNUAL CYCLE OF PERIPHYTON, ZOOPLANKTON, AND WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS ALONG A 5 STATION TRANSECT OF ESCAMBIA BAY, FL
Citation:
Lores, E M., M C. Murrell, R S. Stanley, D T. Marcovich, L M. Smith, AND W G. Craven Jr. ANNUAL CYCLE OF PERIPHYTON, ZOOPLANKTON, AND WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS ALONG A 5 STATION TRANSECT OF ESCAMBIA BAY, FL. Presented at ASLO Aquatic Sciences 2001: Making Connections in the 21st Century, Albuquerque, NM, 12-16 February 2001.
Description:
Phytoplankton, zooplankton and water quality parameters were monitored monthly along a 5-station transect in Escambia Bay (Pensacola, FL) from fall 1999 to fall 2000. To provide insight into nutrient processing in Escambia Bay and effects of grazers on phytoplankton community structure, phytoplankton were size-fractionated into total, <20 micron, and <5 micron fractions prior to analysis of chlorophyll a. Results indicate that most of the phytoplankton in Escambia Bay are less than 5 micron in size. HPLC accessory pigments were used to analyze the phytoplankton community structure. HPLC data suggest a dominance of blue-green algae throughout the summer. Zooplankton samples were analyzed for biovolume, dry weight and taxonomic abundance. Peak densities, occurring during late spring and early fall, were approximately an order of magnitude higher than in earlier studies in nearby bayous. A severe drought across much of the Southeast caused salinity to remain above 15 at the mouth of Escambia River for more than 4 months. Seasonal variations in dissolved nutrients and particulate matter are also reported.