- Title
- Dinoflagellate communities in Algoa Bay: abundance and dynamics
- Creator
- Van Zyl, Hendrik Francois
- Subject
- Marine microbiology
- Subject
- Microbiology Marine biology -- Indian Ocean
- Date Issued
- 2017
- Date
- 2017
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MSc
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/21218
- Identifier
- vital:29457
- Description
- The contribution of dinoflagellates to the phytoplankton of Algoa Bay is largely unknown. This study aimed to address this, but additionally considered seasonal and spatial variation in the dinoflagellate communities of Algoa Bay. Phytoplankton abundance and the inorganic nutrients ammonium, total oxidized nitrogen, soluble reactive phosphorus and silicate were analysed. Diatoms dominated the phytoplankton community in most samples, with dinoflagellates only occasionally dominating the community. No seasonality could be detected in dinoflagellate abundance. Furthermore, no significant spatial patterns could be distinguished in dinoflagellate abundance, with the only exception being that the Port Elizabeth harbour waters contained significantly fewer dinoflagellate cells than the younger Ngqura harbour. Total phytoplankton abundance was correlated with inorganic nitrogen concentrations, but this was due to diatoms – dinoflagellate abundance did not correlate significantly with any nutrient measured. Both the common, historically bloom-forming Noctiluca scintilans, as well as the recently red tide-forming Lingulodinium polyhedra were recorded during the study, the latter almost exclusively from the harbours, which can be considered repositories of these toxic and harmful algal cells. The findings suggest that dinoflagellates in Algoa Bay are a robust phytoplankton group able to survive, and often thrive, in wide range of environmental conditions.
- Format
- 59 leaves
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Science
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela University
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