Succession of primary producers and micrograzers in a coastal ecosystem dominated by Phaeocystis globosa blooms

Abstract

The community structures and succession of phytoplankton, protozooplankton and copepods were studied from February 2007 to July 2009 in a coastal area of the eastern English Channel subject to Phaeocystis globosa blooms. While diatom blooms preceded P. globosa blooms each year, the community structure and stock of heterotrophic protists appeared to be related to the dominant P. globosa life cycle stages. In 2007, the dominance of large colonies (>100 µm, up to 316 µg C L−1), which resulted in a high biomass of healthy free cells (up to 132 µg C L−1), accompanied high spirotrich ciliate stocks (up to 58 µg C L−1) and high abundances of the copepods Acartia clausi and Temora longicornis (up to 11 ind. L−1). In 2008, the bloom which lasted a shorter period of time was dominated by large colonies (up to 328 µg C L−1) and fewer free cells (up to 98 µg C L−1). This corresponded with a lower abundance of grazers, with stocks of heterotrophic protists and copepods 1.6 times and 2.2 times lower, respectively. In 2009, the P. globosa bloom was again dominated by large colonies and <100 µm diatoms. This corresponded to a dominance of heterotrophic dinoflagellates among the protists (62% of the total heterotrophic protist biomass) and Acartia clausi (55% of the copepod abundance). Overall, heterotrophic dinoflagellates appeared to be likely the most important group of phytoplankton grazers.