Phytoplankton assemblages in the deep chlorophyll maximum layers off the Mediterranean coast of Israel

Abstract

Phytoplankton assemblages in the deep chlorophyll maximum and near-surface layers were compared at seven stations in the inshore and offshore waters of the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The study included the entire spectrum of taxonomic categories over a wide size range, comprising the nano/pico phytoplankton components down to 1 μm and the larger phytoplankters consisting primarily of diatoms and dino-flagellates. The coccolithophorids <20 μm and the monads constituted the most abundant components of the phytoplankton at the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) and near surface layer. Certain individual species, mainly pennate diatoms and smaller dinoflagellates, seemed to adapt to the DCM to form a characteristic association.