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A Comparison of Phytoplankton Biomass Estimators and Their Environmental Correlates in the Mali Ston Bay (Southern Adriatic)
N. Jasprica,
M. Carić,
N. Jasprica
Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Laboratory of Plankton Ecology, PO Box 39, HR-20001 Dubrovnik, Croatia.
*Both authors equally contributed to this paper.
Search for more papers by this authorM. Carić
Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Laboratory of Plankton Ecology, PO Box 39, HR-20001 Dubrovnik, Croatia.
*Both authors equally contributed to this paper.
Search for more papers by this authorN. Jasprica,
M. Carić,
N. Jasprica
Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Laboratory of Plankton Ecology, PO Box 39, HR-20001 Dubrovnik, Croatia.
*Both authors equally contributed to this paper.
Search for more papers by this authorM. Carić
Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Laboratory of Plankton Ecology, PO Box 39, HR-20001 Dubrovnik, Croatia.
*Both authors equally contributed to this paper.
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Abstract. Phytoplankton biomass estimators – total cell number (CN), total cell volume (CV), chlorophyll a (Chl a). phytoplankton organic carbon (PC), and their response to environmental variables, with a special emphasis on the vertical variability in the structure of the water column – were examined in the Mali Ston Bay (Southern Adriatic). Correlations among biomass estimators as well as with physical-chemical parameters varied according to hydrodynamic characteristics of the water column. The amount of Chl a per cell ranged from 0.28.06–10-6μg during stratification to 0.7–2.0.10-6μg during the mixing period. Most frequent values for PC/Chl a ratios and for Chl a/CV in mixed natural phytoplankton populations were 20–25 and 1–2, respectively.
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