Biodiv Sci ›› 2015, Vol. 23 ›› Issue (1): 23-32.  DOI: 10.17520/biods.2014103

• Original Papers: Plant Diversity • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Species composition and seasonal variation of netz-phytoplankton in the eastern marginal China seas

Qianqian Zhou1,3, Changping Chen1, Junrong Liang1, Yahui Gao1,2,*()   

  1. 1 School of Life Sciences, and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102
    2 State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102
    3 Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Xiamen, Fujian 361005
  • Received:2014-05-28 Accepted:2014-09-16 Online:2015-01-20 Published:2015-05-04
  • Contact: Yahui Gao

Abstract:

The abundance and seasonal variation of phytoplankton were studied in the eastern marginal China seas (25.00°-39.00° N, 118.00°-129.00° E). Based on surveys in June and July 2006, January and February 2007, November 2007 and April and May 2009, we analyzed the species composition, community structure, and cell density of netz-phytoplankton (mesh size 77 μm). A total of 257 phytoplankton species were identified, belonging to 70 genera and 4 classes. Bacillariolhyta was the dominant functional group, followed by Pyrrophyta. The dominant species were Skeletonema spp., Thalassiosira subtilis, T. scrotiformis, Thalassionema frauenfeldii, T. nitzschioides, Paralia sulcata, Chaetoceros lorenzianus, C. curvisetus, Pseudo-nitzschia pungens and Noctiluca scintillans. The cell density of the phytoplankton ranged from 0.02×10 4 cells/m 3 in the Yellow Sea in winter to 31,350.21×10 4 cells/m 3 in the Yangtze River in spring. Overall phytoplankton cell density showed the following seasonal trend: spring > summer > autumn > winter.

Key words: phytoplankton, cell density, diversity, eastern marginal China seas