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Abstract: We present a dataset of zooplankton biomass spanning more than four decades (1974–2019). The dry mass of zooplankton ranged from below 10 to almost 100 mg m-3, was highest in 1989–2002 and declined thereafter. The interannual variability of zooplankton dry mass in the period 1993–2018 was compared with the regional atmospheric index WeMOi, chlorophyll a and frequency of jellyfish blooms. Increased dry mass values were associated with a positive phase of the regional atmospheric index WeMOi, higher chlorophyll a and a lower frequency of jellyfish blooms.
Keywords: net zooplankton, dry mass, time series, chlorophyll a, jellyfish blooms
Published in DiRROS: 24.06.2026; Views: 146; Downloads: 111
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Abstract: Phytoplankton plays a fundamental role in marine ecosystems and is widely used to assess environmental change. In this study, light microscopy and DNA metabarcoding approaches were used to investigate phytoplankton communities at three long-term monitoring sites in the northern Adriatic Sea. By combining the two approaches, more than 500 species were recorded. Metabarcoding detected substantially higher diversity, particularly among small and fragile organisms that are difficult to identify under a microscope, whereas microscopy was better for identifying larger species with distinctive morphology. Because species contain different amounts of genetic material, DNA data can overestimate or underestimate their true contribution to the community. Indeed, after applying correction factors that account for these differences, the DNA-based estimates became more consistent with the microscopy results for several phytoplankton groups. The differences among the samples were influenced more by the approach used than by the sampling location. Overall, combining these two approaches provides an accurate and robust picture of phytoplankton communities. In this way, it is possible to improve the reliability of marine biodiversity assessments and to support better environmental monitoring and management in coastal seas.
Keywords: phytoplankton, diversity, environmental DNA, Long-Term Ecological Research, amplicon sequencing, North Adriatic Sea
Published in DiRROS: 25.03.2026; Views: 364; Downloads: 282
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Abstract: This study presents the first comprehensive assessment of microalgal diversity in two Slovenian transitional waters (TWs): the shallow brackish lagoon of the Škocjanski Zatok Nature Reserve (SZNR) and the Rižana River estuary within the Port of Koper (PK) area. Between 2018 and 2021, water samples collected with a phytoplankton net were analyzed using light and scanning electron microscopy. In total, 240 species from 117 genera were identified in TW, dominated by diatoms and dinoflagellates, surpassing the diversity at a marine coastal station (91 species, 59 genera). Species richness was higher in PK (226) than in SZNR (154), mainly due to dinoflagellates and coccolithophores. Marine taxa predominated along the salinity gradient, with moderate contributions from brackish taxa and fewfreshwater forms, reflecting both natural and anthropogenic influences. Planktonic taxa dominated at all sites, while benthic forms were abundant in the lagoon, particularly in spring. Thirty-two taxa were recorded for the first time in Slovenian TW, mostly benthic or tychopelagic diatoms. The detection of Coolia monotis and five cyanobacterial genera with potentially harmful traits highlights the role of TW as an ecological interface. The taxonomic sufficiency analysis showed that the order level is sufficient to distinguish transitional from marine assemblages, beyond which ecological information is lost. Overall, this study highlights the importance of detailed taxonomic resolution for detecting microalgal diversity, including harmful and non-indigenous species to ensure robust ecological assessments under the WFD and MSFD directives.
Keywords: transitional waters, diversity, phytoplankton, harmful algal blooms, non-indigenous species, Adriatic Sea
Published in DiRROS: 27.01.2026; Views: 528; Downloads: 545
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Abstract: The Malaspina-2010 circumnavigation expedition on board R/V Hesperides surveyed tropical and subtropical regions of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans between December 2010 and July 2011. This article examines the relationships between the distribution of chlorophyll a (Chl a), major inorganic nutrients and other hydrographic variables. A deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) was found at most stations between 60 and 150 m depth; it occurred close to the level of 1% surface photosynthetically active radiation and was associated with the nitracline. There was a negative relationship between total Chl a at surface and the DCM depth, and between Chl a concentration at the DCM and DCM depth. In terms of Chl a concentration, picophytoplankton was the dominant size class at all sampled light intensities (surface, 20% of surface PAR and PAR at DCM), oceans and geoclimatic zones, except at some stations influenced by upwellings or divergences. Within the Chl a concentration ranges found in this study, the proportion of picophytoplankton increased with total Chl a, in contrast with some previous findings. Vertically integrated Chl a was positively correlated with surface Chl a, with similar slopes for the whole data set and for the different oceans and zones. In turn, surface Chl a and sea surface temperature showed a negative correlation for the Indian Ocean and the subtropical zone, a positive correlation for the Atlantic, and non-significant relationships for the remaining oceans and zones.
Keywords: Malaspina 2010, chlorophyll a, nitracline, deep chlorophyll maximum, phytoplankton size fractionation, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, hydrobiology, marine biology
Published in DiRROS: 04.04.2025; Views: 1072; Downloads: 1055
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Abstract: Trait-based ecology has recently gained increasing importance in phytoplankton research. In particular, the taxonomic and morphological traits, such as size and shape of phytoplankton cells, can help to unveil the ecological processes and their drivers in the pelagic domain. Our study aims to shed light on the trophodynamics of phytoplankton communities in a coastal ecosystem in the northern Adriatic Sea (Gulf of Trieste) using data on individual traits such as biomass, size and shape of phytoplankton taxa during a one-year study. The phytoplankton parameters were investigated at the levels of the whole community, groups, and individual cells, analysing also the probability distributions of biomass and size of the latter level. The results showed good agreement between abundance and biomass data, as well as individual size and biomass with differences partly explained by cell shapes. We have emphasized the role of the local freshwater source in bottom-up control, alternating with top-down control of phytoplankton dynamics through taxonomic and morphological diversity. The predominant bimodal and non-power law distribution, especially during and around the biomass peaks, confirmed the importance of nano- and microphytoplankton size classes and the role of blooms in destabilizing the trophic webs. We suggest that the analyses of distribution types of individual cell size and biomass can be appropriate to spot ecological processes driving to unconstrained phytoplankton proliferation or to periods of trophic web stability.
Keywords: phytoplankton, biomass, taxonomic traits, morphological traits, Northern Adriatic, trophodynamics, pelagic domain
Published in DiRROS: 08.10.2024; Views: 1468; Downloads: 1323
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