Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Nienhuis, H.
Right arrow Articles by Caballero, R. G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Nienhuis, H.
Right arrow Articles by Caballero, R. G.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

JOURNAL OF PLANKTON RESEARCH | VOLUME 7 | NUMBER 4 | PAGES 427-441 | 1985
© Oxford University Press

research-article

A quantitative analysis of the annual phytoplankton cycle of the Magdalena lagoon complex (Mexico)

Henk Nienhuis and Rafael Guerrero Caballero

Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (Instituto Politecnico Nacional), El Conchalito P.O. Box 574, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Received on November 1, 1983; accepted on April 1, 1985 An annual cycle of the micro- and nanophytoplankton cell densities of whole water samples in combination with the species composition, distribution and diversity of the microphytoplankton fraction in the Magdalena lagoon system, Mexico, has been studied on a bi-monthly basis. Two major patterns were detected: from November to May, high microphytoplankton densities (0.5–1.5 106 cells l–1 prevail throughout a large part of the investigated area; from late spring to late autumn cell densities are much lower (5–250 103 cells l–1). During each period a number of microplankton assemblages occur, each with its characteristic diversity and stability. The distribution and density of the microphytoplankton is clearly related to the presence of nutrient-rich water pockets and the prevailing winds for part of the year, as documented in earlier hydrological studies. The nanophytoplankton played a minor role during most of the year; this fraction dominated quantitatively in only a few cases. Based on these data, the Magdalena lagoon complex can be considered a very productive area. This is further substantiated by the presence of large quantities of several sardine and mackerel species, feeding almost exclusively on microphytoplankton. This reveals the existence of an important short chain pathway in the food web of this coastal lagoon system


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J PLANKTON RESHome page
J. Gomez-Gutierrez, R. Palomares-Garcia, R. De Silva-Davila, M. A. Carballido-Carranza, and A. Martinez-Lopez
Copepod daily egg production and growth rates in Bahia Magdalena, Mexico
J. Plankton Res., December 1, 1999; 21(12): 2227 - 2244.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.