Nutrient pulsing as a regulator of phytoplankton abundance and community composition in Galveston Bay, Texas

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dc.acquisition-srcen_US
dc.call-noen_US
dc.contract-noen_US
dc.contributor.authorOernolfsdottir, EBen_US
dc.contributor.authorLumsden, SEen_US
dc.contributor.authorPinckney, JLen_US
dc.contributor.otherJournal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecologyen_US
dc.date.accessioned2010-02-15T16:45:48Z
dc.date.available2010-02-15T16:45:48Z
dc.date.issuedJun. 2004en_US
dc.degreeen_US
dc.descriptionpgs. 197-220en_US
dc.description-otheren_US
dc.description.abstractGalveston Bay, Texas, is a large shallow estuary with a watershed that includes 60% of the major industrial facilities of Texas. However, the system exhibits low to moderate (2-20 mu g l super(-1)) microalgal biomass with sporadic phytoplankton blooms. Both nitrogen (N) and phosphate (P) limitation of phytoplankton growth have been proposed for the estuary. However, shifts between N and P limitation of algae growth may occur due to annual fluctuations in nutrient concentrations. The primary goal of this work was to determine the primary limiting nutrient for phytoplankton in Galveston Bay. Nutrient addition bioassays were used to assess short-term (1-2 days) phytoplankton responses (both biomass and community composition) to potentially limiting nutrients. The experimental bioassays were conducted over an annual cycle using natural water collected from the center to lower part of the estuary. Total phytoplankton biomass increased in the nitrate (10 mu M) additions in 11 of the 13 bioassays, but no significant increases were detected in the phosphate (3 mu M)-only additions. Bioassay results suggest that the phytoplankton community was usually not phosphate limited. All major groups increased in biomass following nitrate additions but diatoms increased in biomass at a faster rate than other groups, shifting the community composition toward higher relative abundance of diatoms. The results of this study suggest that pulsed N input events preferentially favor increases in diatom biomass in this estuary. The broader implications of this study are that N pulsing events, primarily due to river discharge, play an important role in structuring the phytoplankton community in the Galveston Bay estuary.en_US
dc.description.urihttp://gbic.tamug.edu/request.htmen_US
dc.geo-codeGalveston Bayen_US
dc.geo-codeTexasen_US
dc.history1-15-09 kswen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1969.3/18481
dc.latitudeen_US
dc.locationNot available in house - Please contact GBIC for assistanceen_US
dc.longitudeen_US
dc.notesen_US
dc.placeen_US
dc.publisheren_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries10006.00en_US
dc.relation.urien_US
dc.scaleen_US
dc.seriesen_US
dc.subjectabundanceen_US
dc.subjectalgal growthen_US
dc.subjectalgal bloomsen_US
dc.subjectbioassaysen_US
dc.subjectbiomassen_US
dc.subjectcommunity compositionen_US
dc.subjectestuariesen_US
dc.subjectlimiting factorsen_US
dc.subjectnutrientsen_US
dc.subjectphytoplanktonen_US
dc.subjectpopulationen_US
dc.subjectriver dischargeen_US
dc.subjectwatersheden_US
dc.titleNutrient pulsing as a regulator of phytoplankton abundance and community composition in Galveston Bay, Texasen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
dc.universityen_US
dc.vol-issue303(2)en_US

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