Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Phytoplankton patchiness and frontal regions

  • Published:
Marine Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In the Chesapeake Bay estuary there are persistent seasonal frontal and interfrontal regions that serve to deliver and retain different phytoplankton populations. The “patchiness” of phytoplankton, both in total chlorophyll a concentrations and in species compositions and abundances, is shown to be causally related to density flow forcing which results in these frontal and interfrontal regions. The delineation of these regions by on-line, two-dimensional profiling of density isopleths serves to identify stations within these regions for biological and chemical sampling as opposed to sampling on an arbitrary geographical grid. It is possible, by superposition of nutrient and organism concentration isopleths upon salinity isopleths, to infer conservative and non-conservative features of the system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature Cited

  • Bendschneider, K. and R. J. Robinson: A new spectrophotometric method for the determination of nitrite in sea water. J. mar. Res. 11, 87–92 (1952)

    Google Scholar 

  • Biggley, W. H., H. H. Seliger and R. B. Rivkin: Instrumentation for rapid profiling of water densities: Structure of fronts. Limnol. Oceanogr. to be submitted (1981)

  • Chesapeake Bay Institute, Johns Hopkins University. Data Bank Report 1. Data Bank Inventory Vol. 1, Chesapeake Bay Tributaries, Edition 1, 1949 through 1969, Marweit, M. and C. Feister, eds. 1969

  • Coachman, L. K. and R. L. Charnell: On lateral water mass interaction — a case study, Bristol Bay, Alaska. J. phys. Oceanogr. 9, 278–297 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • Denman, K. L.: Covariability of chlorophyll and temperature in the sea. Deep Sea Res. 23, 539–550 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Denman, K. L. and T. Platt: Coherences in the horizontal distributions of phytoplankton and temperature in the upper ocean. Mem. Soc. r. Sci. Liége 6e serie 7, 19–30 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Denman, K. L. and T. Platt: The variance spectrum of phytoplankton in a turbulent ocean. J. mar. Res. 34, 593–601 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fasham, M. J. R.: The statistical and mathematical analysis of phytoplankton patchiness. Oceanogr. mar. Biol. 16, 93–112 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Flemer, D. A.: Continuous measurement of in vivo chlorophyll of a dinoflagellate bloom in Chesapeake Bay. Chesapeake Sci. 10, 99–103 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Flemer, D. A.: Primary production in the Chesapeake Bay. Chesapeake Sci. 11, 117–129 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Holligan, P. M.: Dinoflagellate blooms associated with tidal fronts around the British Isles. In: Toxic dinoflagellate blooms, pp 249–256. Ed. by. D. L. Taylor and H. H. Seliger. New York: Elsevier 1979

    Google Scholar 

  • Holligan, P. M. and D. S. Harbour: The vertical distribution and succession of phytoplankton in the western English Channel in 1975 and 1976. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 57, 1075–1093 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Iverson, R. L., L. K. Coachman, R. T. Cooney, T. S. English, J. J. Goering, G. L. Hunt, Jr., M. C. Macauley, C. P. McRoy, W. S. Reeburg and T. E. Whiteledge: Ecological significance of fronts in the southeastern Bering Sea. In: Ecological processes in coastal and marine systems, pp 437–466. Ed. by R. J. Livingston. New York: Plenum Pub. 1979a

    Google Scholar 

  • Iverson, R. L., T. E. Whitledge and J. J. Goering: Chlorophyll and nitrate fine structure in the southeastern Bering Sea shelf break front. Nature, Lond. 281, 664–666 (1979b)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kierstead, H. and L. B. Slobodkin: The size of water masses containing plankton blooms. J. mar. Res. 12, 141–147 (1953)

    Google Scholar 

  • Loftus, M. E. and H. H. Seliger: Some limitations of the in vivo fluorescence technique. Chesapeake Sci. 16, 79–92 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Loftus, M. E. and H. H. Seliger: A comparative study of primary production and standing crops of phytoplankton in a portion of the upper Chesapeake Bay subsequent to Tropical Storm Agnes. In: The effects of Tropical Storm Agnes on the Chesapeake Bay estuarine system. Chesapeake Res. Consortium Pub. 54, pp 509–521 Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins Press 1976

    Google Scholar 

  • Loftus, M. E., D. V. Subba Rao and H. H. Seliger: Growth and dissipation of phytoplankton in Chesapeake Bay. I. Response to a large pulse of rainfall. Chesapeake Sci. 13, 282–299 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, H. G.: Plankton in James River estuary, Virginia. I. Phytoplankton in Willoughby Bay and Hampton Roads. Chesapeake Sci. 8, 90–101 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Patten, B. C. and B. F. Chabot: Factorial productivity experiment in a shallow estuary: Characteristics of response surfaces. Chesapeake Sci. 7, 117–136 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • Patten, B. C., R. A. Mulford and J. E. Warinner: An annual phytoplankton cycle in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Chesapeake Sci. 4, 1–20 (1963)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pingree, R. D., P. M. Holligan, G. T. Mardell and R. N. Head: The influence of physical stability on spring, summer and autumn phytoplankton blooms in the Celtic Sea. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 56, 845–873 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pingree, R. D., P. R. Pugh, P. M. Holligan and G. R. Foster: Summer phytoplankton blooms and red tides along tidal fronts in the approaches to the English Channel. Nature Lond., 258, 672–677 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Platt, T., and K. L. Denman: Spectral analysis in ecology. Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 6, 189–210 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rivkin, R. B., K. R. McKinley, K. R. H. Aspen and H. H. Seliger: Differential nutrient uptake in natural phytoplankton populations. Mar. Biol. submitted 1980

  • Rivkin, R. B., H. H. Seliger, W. H. Biggley and K. R. H. Aspden: Recirculation mechanism for dinoflagellates. Mar. Biol. to be submitted 1981

  • Seliger, H. H., J. H. Carpenter, M. Loftus, W. H. Biggley and W. D. McElroy: Bioluminescence and phytoplankton successions in Bahía Fosforescente, Puerto Rico, Limnol. Oceanogr. 16, 608–622 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Seliger, H. H., J. H. Carpenter, M. Loftus and W. D. McElroy: Mechanisms for the accumulation of high concentrations of dinoflagellates in a bioluminescent bay. Limnol. Oceanogr. 15, 234–245 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Seliger, H. H., W. G. Fastie and W. D. McElroy: Towable photometer for rapid area mapping of concentrations of bioluminescent marine dinoflagellates. Limnol. Oceanogr. 14, 809–813 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Seliger, H. H. and M. E. Loftus. Growth and dissipation of phytoplankton in Chesapeake Bay II. A statistical analysis of phytoplankton standing crops in the Rhode and West Rivers and an adjacent section of the Chesapeake Bay. Chesapeake Sci. 15, 185–205 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Seliger, H. H., M. E. Loftus and D. V. Subba Rao: Dinoflagellate accumulations in Chesapeake Bay. In: Proc. 1st Internat. Conf. on Toxic Dinoflagellate Blooms, pp 181–205. Ed. by V. R. LoCicero. Wakefield, Mass.: Mass. Sci. Tech. Found. 1975

    Google Scholar 

  • Seliger, H. H., M. A. Tyler and K. R. McKinley: Phytoplankton distributions and red tides resulting from frontal circulation patterns. In: Toxic Dinoflagellate Blooms, pp 239–248. Ed. by D. L. Taylor and H. H. Seliger. New York: Elsevier 1979

    Google Scholar 

  • Simpson, J. H. and J. R. Hunter: Fronts in the Irish Sea. Nature, Lond. 250, 404–406 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Skellam, J. G.: Random dispersal in theoretical populations. Biometrika 38, 196–219 (1951)

    Google Scholar 

  • Solorzano, L.: Determination of ammonia in natural waters by the phenolhypochlorite method. Limnol. Oceanogr. 14, 799–801 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Stross, R. G. and J. R. Stottlemeyer: Primary production in the Patuxent River. Chesapeake Sci. 6, 125–140 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  • Therriault, J. C., D. J. Lawrence and T. Platt: Spatial variability of phytoplankton turnover in relation to physical processes in a coastal environment. Limnol. Oceangr. 23, 900–911 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Therriault, J. C. and T. Platt: Spatial heterogeneity of phytoplankton biomass and related factors on the near-surface waters of an exposed coastal embayment. Limnol. Oceangr. 23, 888–899 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, M. A. and H. H. Seliger: Annual subsurface transport of a red tide dinoflagellate to its bloom area: Water circulation patterns and organism distributions in the Chesapeake Bay. Limnol. Oceanogr. 23, 227–246 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, M. A. and H. H. Seliger: Selection for a red tide organsm: Physiological responses to the physical environment. Limnol. Oceanogr. 26, (1981)

  • Wood, E. P., F. A. J. Armstrong and R. A. Richards: Determination of nitrate in seawater by cadmium-copper reduction to nitrite. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 47, 23–31 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zubkoff, P. L., J. C. Munday Jr., R. G. Rhodes and J. E. Warinner III: Mesoscale features of summer (1975–1977) dinoflagellate blooms in the York River, Virginia (Chesapeake Bay Estuary). In: Toxic dinoflagellate blooms, pp 279–286. Ed. by D. L. Taylor and H. H. Seliger. New York: Elsevier 1979

    Google Scholar 

  • Zubkoff, P. L. and J. E. Warinner III: Synoptic sightings of red waters of the lower Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers. In: Proc. 1st Internat. Conf. on Toxic dinoflagellate Blooms, pp 105–112. Ed. by V. R. LoCicero. Wakefiedl, Mass.: Mass. Sci. Technol. Found. 1975

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. K. R. McKinley

    Present address: St. John's College, 21404, Annapolis, MD, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. McCollum Pratt Institute, The Johns Hopkins University, 21218, Baltimore, MD, USA

    H. H. Seliger, K. R. McKinley, W. H. Biggley, R. B. Rivkin & K. R. H. Aspden

  2. Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, 21218, Baltimore, MD, USA

    H. H. Seliger, K. R. McKinley, W. H. Biggley, R. B. Rivkin & K. R. H. Aspden

Authors
  1. H. H. Seliger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. R. McKinley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. W. H. Biggley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. R. B. Rivkin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. K. R. H. Aspden
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Communicated by I. Morris, West Boothbay Harbor

Contribution 1059 from the McCollum-Pratt Institute and Department of Biology. Research support by DOE contract DEASO2-76-EVO3278. The data in this paper have been presented at the Winter Meeting of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography in Corpus Christi, Texas January 2–5, 1979 and the 42nd Annual Meeting of ASLO in Stony Brook, NY, USA June 18–21, 1979

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Seliger, H.H., McKinley, K.R., Biggley, W.H. et al. Phytoplankton patchiness and frontal regions. Mar. Biol. 61, 119–131 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00386651

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00386651

Keywords

Search

Navigation