Standing stock, community structure, species composition, distribution, and primary production of natural populations of phytoplankton in the southern Beaufort Sea

Abstract

Standing stock and in situ primary production of the southern Beaufort Sea phytoplankton were determined during the summers of 1973, 1974, and 1975. They decreased with increasing distance from shore and the Mackenzie river mouths. The phytoplankton community was composed largely of diatoms and flagellates with diatoms dominating in the coastal waters and flagellates being more abundant in the waters farther off shore. Dinoflagellates and chrysophytes occurred in relatively low numbers except in a few cases when blooms were observed. Blue-green algae were found occasionally in very low numbers. Seventy-two species of phytoplankton were identified, most of these being diatoms.