Presentation Abstract
Phytoplankton are a critical component of estuarine food webs and changes in their community composition may indicate shifts in ecosystem-scale processes, such as grazing pressure or nutrient availability. However, seasonal variability of phytoplankton communities and potential links to ecosystem processes are not well understood in Padilla Bay. To meet this research need, we have established a monitoring program to investigate how phytoplankton communities change over time. These monitoring efforts are part of a reserve wide program that investigates water quality, zooplankton, and phytoplankton across four sites in Padilla Bay. The present study focuses on phytoplankton collected at an open water site, where phytoplankton abundance and composition (to genus) were determined using light microscopy for samples collected monthly since late 2016. Analyses indicate that Padilla Bay surface waters are composed of multiple genera of varying abundances and that these communities change throughout the year. Results from this investigation will allow us to explore temporal relationships between phytoplankton community composition and water quality parameters, which will improve our understanding of phytoplankton communities as indicators of ecosystem change in Padilla Bay and the greater Salish Sea.
Session Title
Track: Trophic Interactions - Zooplankton, Phytoplankton, Salmon, Forage Fish & Invasive Species – Posters
Conference Track
Trophic Interactions - Zooplankton, Phytoplankton, Salmon, Forage Fish & Invasive Species
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2020 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
2020_abstractID_5742
Start Date
21-4-2020 9:00 AM
End Date
22-4-2020 4:45 PM
Type of Presentation
Poster
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events); posters
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Phytoplankton--Washington (State)--Padilla Bay; Ecosystem health--Washington (State)--Padilla Bay
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Padilla Bay (Wash.)
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Temporal variability of phytoplankton communities in Padilla Bay, Washington
Phytoplankton are a critical component of estuarine food webs and changes in their community composition may indicate shifts in ecosystem-scale processes, such as grazing pressure or nutrient availability. However, seasonal variability of phytoplankton communities and potential links to ecosystem processes are not well understood in Padilla Bay. To meet this research need, we have established a monitoring program to investigate how phytoplankton communities change over time. These monitoring efforts are part of a reserve wide program that investigates water quality, zooplankton, and phytoplankton across four sites in Padilla Bay. The present study focuses on phytoplankton collected at an open water site, where phytoplankton abundance and composition (to genus) were determined using light microscopy for samples collected monthly since late 2016. Analyses indicate that Padilla Bay surface waters are composed of multiple genera of varying abundances and that these communities change throughout the year. Results from this investigation will allow us to explore temporal relationships between phytoplankton community composition and water quality parameters, which will improve our understanding of phytoplankton communities as indicators of ecosystem change in Padilla Bay and the greater Salish Sea.
