Phytoplankton succession in the eastern Fram Strait (August 2017 - July 2018) – Microscopic analysis of autonomously collected water samples -

• Main Authors: Menge, Michelle, Nöthig, Eva-Maria
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: Arctic; Fram Strait
• Online Access: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/51202/; https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.fe94f35e-758b-4d60-b483-6e078c8694a4

The succession of phytoplankton in the Fram Strait was investigated at the AWI LTER (Long Term Ecological Research) observatory HAUSGARTEN at a fixed station (HG-IV; ~ 79°N , 4° E) for the first time. For this purpose, a moored automated sampling system ( at ~25 m water depth) was collecting samples every other week except during winter month from August 15 2017 to July 8 2018. Phytoplankton was identified, counted, and the size was measured, in a total of 17 samples. Growth started in the middle of May with diatoms of the genus Chaetoceros and Thalassiosira directly followed by the haptophyte Phaeocystis during June. The group of dinoflagellates showed two growth phases; one during August to mid-September and another one during May. Cryptophytes exhibited their growth phase in September, while Dictyocha speculum dominated in November. Rhizosolenia spp. and Pseudo-nitzschia spp. were more frequent during late summer. The common bloom forming diatoms Chaetoceros spp. and Thalassiosira spp. as well as the haptophyte Phaeocystis sp. were the most abundant species predominating the cell counts and also made up the majority of the phytoplankton carbon (PPC) in the course of that year in eastern Fram Strait.