<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

We investigated the distribution of several picophytoplankton groups (<italic>Prochlorococcus</italic>, <italic>Synechococcus</italic>, and picoeukaryotes) in relation to a warm eddy in the northern South China Sea in summer 2012. An anticyclonic eddy centered on 117°E longitude was identified during the sampling period using satellite data and hydrologic mapping. The layer of maximum <italic>Prochlorococcus</italic> and <italic>Synechococcus</italic> abundance within the eddy core dropped from 50 to 75 m, which was consistent with the subsurface chlorophyll <italic>a</italic> maximum. The water-column integrated abundance of <italic>Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus</italic>, and picoeukaryotes in the eddy core (9.67±0.23, 1.56±0.04, and 0.28±0.01 × 103 cells ml-1, respectively) was significantly lower (P&lt;0.05) than that of the reference stations (25.10±2.32, 2.71±0.63, and 0.92±0.15 × 103 cells ml-1, respectively), and the abundance of <italic>Prochlorococcus</italic> in the core was also significantly lower than that at eddy edges (15.75±1.78 × 103 cells ml-1). However, there were no differences in the water-column integrated Chl <italic>a</italic> between the eddy core and edge. Our findings show that the warm eddy led to the reduced picophytoplankton abundance, especially of <italic>Prochlorococcus</italic> and picoeukaryotes, causing the layer of maximum picophytoplankton abundance to differ from that of the subsurface Chl <italic>a</italic> maximum.
</abstract>

We investigated the distribution of several picophytoplankton groups (Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, and picoeukaryotes) in relation to a warm eddy in the northern South China Sea in summer 2012. An anticyclonic eddy centered on 117°E longitude was identified during the sampling period using satellite data and hydrologic mapping. The layer of maximum Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus abundance within the eddy core dropped from 50 to 75 m, which was consistent with the subsurface chlorophyll a maximum. The water-column integrated abundance of Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, and picoeukaryotes in the eddy core (9.67±0.23, 1.56±0.04, and 0.28±0.01 × 103 cells ml-1, respectively) was significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of the reference stations (25.10±2.32, 2.71±0.63, and 0.92±0.15 × 103 cells ml-1, respectively), and the abundance of Prochlorococcus in the core was also significantly lower than that at eddy edges (15.75±1.78 × 103 cells ml-1). However, there were no differences in the water-column integrated Chl a between the eddy core and edge. Our findings show that the warm eddy led to the reduced picophytoplankton abundance, especially of Prochlorococcus and picoeukaryotes, causing the layer of maximum picophytoplankton abundance to differ from that of the subsurface Chl a maximum.

Response of picophytoplankton to a warm eddy in the northern South China Sea

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Response of picophytoplankton to a warm eddy in the northern South China Sea"}

We investigated the distribution of several picophytoplankton groups (Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, and picoeukaryotes) in relation to a warm eddy in the...

Response of picophytoplankton to a warm eddy in the northern South China Sea

Article Category: Original research paper

Published Online: Jun 22, 2016

Page range: 145 - 158

Received: Jul 06, 2015

Accepted: Oct 28, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ohs-2016-0014

Keywords
northern South China Sea, picophytoplankton, warm eddy, carbon biomass, nutrient ratio

© Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdañsk, Poland. All rights reserved.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Response of picophytoplankton to a warm eddy in the northern South China Sea

Article Category: Original research paper

Published Online: Jun 22, 2016

Page range: 145 - 158

Received: Jul 06, 2015

Accepted: Oct 28, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ohs-2016-0014

Keywordsnorthern South China Sea, picophytoplankton, warm eddy, carbon biomass, nutrient ratio

© Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdañsk, Poland. All rights reserved.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
northern South China Sea, picophytoplankton, warm eddy, carbon biomass, nutrient ratio