Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Microphytobenthos of the Dogger Bank: a comparison between shallow and deep areas using phytopigment composition of the sediment

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Marine Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The surface sediment characteristics related to benthic microalgae primary production were studied at the Dogger Bank, North Sea, in order to evaluate the potential role of microphytobenthos as a food source for the macrobenthic fauna. Twenty-one stations were sampled in July 2001 and May 2002, with water depth ranging from 16.3 to 68.5 m. High-performance liquid chromatography pigment analyses revealed that concentrations of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll c and fucoxanthin are mainly associated with benthic diatom flora at most parts of the Dogger Bank. High percentage of phytopigments (>50%) was firmly attached to sand grains at the stations shallower than 40 m water depth. The deeper stations were characterized by a phytopigment composition originating from pelagic phytoplankton settled on the sea floor. Qualitative microscopy showed that the benthic microflora on top of the Bank mainly consists of small diatoms (5–10 μm), such as e.g., Diploneis spp., living attached to the sand grains. The results are discussed concerning possible implications for ecology and biogeochemistry of the Dogger Bank area.

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

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abele D (1988) Carotinoide als biogene Marker für benthische Makroalgen im Sediment der Kieler Bucht. Berich Instituts Meereskunde Kiel 183:1–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Barranguet C, Herman PMJ, Sinke JJ (1997) Microphytobenthos biomass and community composition studied by pigment biomarkers: importance and fate in the carbon cycle of a tidal flat. J Sea Res 38:59–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boon AR, Duinevald GCA (1996) Phytopigments and fatty acids as molecular markers for the quality of near-bottom particulate organic matter in the North Sea. J Sea Res 35:279–291

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boon AR, Duinevald GCA, Berghius EM, van der Weele JA (1998) Relationships between benthic activity and the annual phytopigment cycle in near-bottom water and sediments in the southern North Sea. Estuarine Coast Shelf Sci 46:1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brockmann U, Laane RWPM, Postma H (1990) Cycling of nutrient elements in the North Sea. Neth J Sea Res 26:239–264

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brockmann U, Wegner G (1985) Hydrography, nutrient and chlorophyll distribution in the North Sea in February 1984. Arch Fisch Wiss 36:27–45

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cahoon LB, Beretich GR Jr, Thomas CJ, McDonald AM (1993) Benthic microalgal production at Stellwagen Bank, Massachusetts Bay, USA. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 102:179–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cahoon LB, Laws RA (1993) Benthic diatoms from the North Carolina continental shelf: inner and mid-shelf. J Phycol 29:257–263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cahoon LB, Redman RS, Tronzo CR (1990) Benthic microalgae biomass in sediments of Onslow Bay, North Carolina. Estuarine Coast Shelf Sci 31:805–816

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dame R, Dankers N, Prins T, Jongsma H, Smaal A (1991) The Influence of mussel beds on nutrients in the western Wadden Sea and eastern Scheld Estuaries. Estuaries 14:130–138

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Herman PMJ, Middelburg JJ, Widdows J, Lucas CH, Heip CHR (2000) Stable isotopes as trophic tracers: combining field sampling and manipulative labelling of food resources for macrobenthos. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 204: 79-92

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Howarth MJ, Dyer KR, Joint IR, Hydes DJ, Purdie DA, Edmunds H, Jones JE, Lowry RK, Moffat TJ, Pomroy AJ, Proctor R (1993) Seasonal cycles and their spatial variability. Philos Trans R Soc Lond A343:383–403

    Google Scholar 

  • Huettel M, Rusch A (2000) Transport and degradation of phytoplankton in permeable sediment. Limnol Oceanogr 45:534–549

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kautsky N, Evans S (1987) Role of biodeposition by Mytilus edulis in the circulation of matter and nutrients in a Baltic coastal ecosystem. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 38:201–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klein B, Riaux-Gobin C (1991) Algal pigment diversity in coastal sediments from Kerguelen (sub-Antarctic Islands) reflecting local dominance of green algae, euglenoids and diatoms. Polar Biol 11:439–448

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kröncke I, Knust R (1995) The Dogger Bank: a special ecological region in the central North Sea. Helgoländer Meeresuntersuchungen 49:335–353

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kröncke I, Stoeck T, Wieking G, Palojärvi A (2004) Relationship between structural and trophic aspects of microbial and macrofaunal communities in different areas of the North Sea. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 282:13–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lucas CH, Holligan PM (1999) Nature and ecological implications of algal pigment diversity on the Molenplaat tidal flat (Westerschelde estuary, SW Netherlands). Mar Ecol Progr Ser 180:51–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meadows PS, Anderson JG (1968) Micro-organisms attached to marine sand grains. J Mar Biol Assoc UK 48:161–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller DC, Geider RJ, MacIntyre HL (1996) Microphytobenthos: the ecological role of the secret garden of unvegetated, shallow-water marine habitats. II. Role in sediment stability and shallow food webs. Estuaries 19:202–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson JR, Eckman JE, Robertson CY, Marinelli RL, Jahnke RA (1999) Benthic microalgal biomass and irradiance at the sea floor on the continental shelf of the South Atlantic Bight: spatial and temporal variability and storm effects. Cont Shelf Res 19:477–505

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nicolaisen W, Kanneworff E (1969) On the burrowing and feeding habits of the amphipods Bathyporeia pilosa Lindström and Bathyporeia sarsi Watkin. Ophelia 6:231–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nicotri ME (1977) Grazing effects of four marine intertidal herbivores on the microflora. Ecology 58:1020–1032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen TG, Løkkegaard B, Richardson K, Pedersen FB, Hansen L (1993) Structure of plankton communities in the Dogger Bank area (North Sea) during a stratified situation. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 95:115–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nieuwenhuize J, Maas YEM, Middelburg JJ (1994) Rapid analysis of organic carbon and nitrogen in particulate materials. Mar Chem 45:217–224

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Palmisano AC, SooHoo JB, Sullivan C (1987) Effects of four environmental variables of photosynthesis-irradiance relationships in Antarctic sea-ice microalgae. Mar Biol 94:299–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palmisano AC, SooHoo JB, White DC, Smith GA, Stanton GR, Burckle LH (1985) Shade adapted benthic diatoms beneath Antarctic sea ice. J Phycol 21:664–667

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reiss H, Kröncke I (2005) Seasonal variability of infaunal community structures in three areas of the North Sea under different environmental conditions. Estuarine Coast Shelf Sci 65:253–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Remane A (1940) Einführung in die zoologische Ökologie der Nord- und Ostsee. Die Tierwelt der Nord- und Ostsee, Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft, Leibzig

  • Richardson K, Nielsen TG, Pedersen FB, Heilmann JP, Lokkegaard B, Kaas H (1998) Spatial heterogeneity in the structure of the planktonic food web in the North Sea. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 168:197–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson K, Olsen OV (1987) Winter nutrient concentrations and primary production in the eastern North Sea. ICES CM1987/C 23:15

    Google Scholar 

  • Riegman R, Malschaert H, Colijn F (1990) Primary production of phytoplankton at a frontal zone located at the northern slope of the Dogger Bank (North Sea). Mar Biol 105:329–336

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rivkin RB, DeLaca TE (1990) Trophic dynamics in Antarctic benthic communities. I. In situ ingestion of microalgae by Foraminifera and metazoan meiofauna. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 64:129–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stoeck T, Kröncke I (2001) Influence of particle mixing on vertical profiles of chlorophyll a and bacterial biomass in sediments of the German Bight, Oyster Ground and Dogger Bank (North Sea). Estuarine Coast Shelf Sci 52:783–795

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sundbäck K, Persson L-E (1981) The effect of microbenthic grazing by an amphipod, Bathyporeia pilosa, Lindström. Kieler Meeresforschung Suppl 5:573–575

    Google Scholar 

  • Swanberg I (1991) The influence of the filter-feeding bivalve Cerastoderma edule L. on microphytobenthos: a laboratory study. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 151:93–111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tenore KR (1988) Nitrogen in benthic food chains. In: Sorensen J, Blackburn TH (eds) Nitrogen cycling in coastal marine environments. Wiley, New York, pp 191–206

    Google Scholar 

  • van Duyl FC, van Raaphorst W, Kop AJ (1993) Benthic bacterial production and nutrient sediment-water exchange in sandy North Sea sediments. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 100:85–95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wallerstein P, Liebezeit G (1999) Determination of photosynthetic pigments. In: Grasshoff K, Kremling K, Ehrhard M (eds) Methods of seawater analysis. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, pp 557–566

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Wieking G, Kröncke I (2001) Decadal changes in macrofauna communities on the Dogger Bank caused by large-scale climate variability. Senckenbergiana Maritima 31:125–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wieking G, Kröncke I (2003) Macrofauna communities of the Dogger Bank (central North Sea) in the late 1990s: spatial distribution, species composition and trophic structure. Helgoland Mar Res 57:34–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Wieking G, Kröncke I (2005) Is benthic trophic structure affected by quality of food?—the Dogger Bank example. Mar Biol 146:387–400

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the captain and the crew of the RV “Senckenberg” for their help with sampling as well as T. Janßen and C. Plum for technical assistance. We are grateful to H. Freund, Research Centre Terramare Wilhelmshaven for identification of the diatoms and W. Ahlrichs and I. Notholt of the University of Oldenburg for providing the opportunity to use the SEM. We are also grateful to three anonymous referees for helpful comments on the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department for Marine Research, Senckenberg Institute, Südstrand 40, 26382, Wilhelmshaven, Germany

    Henning Reiss, Gunther Wieking & Ingrid Kröncke

Authors
  1. Henning Reiss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gunther Wieking
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ingrid Kröncke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Henning Reiss.

Additional information

Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Reiss, H., Wieking, G. & Kröncke, I. Microphytobenthos of the Dogger Bank: a comparison between shallow and deep areas using phytopigment composition of the sediment. Mar Biol 150, 1061–1071 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-006-0423-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-006-0423-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation