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JPR Advance Access published online on March 30, 2004
Journal of Plankton Research, doi:10.1093/plankt/fbh065
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Received April 25, 2003;
accepted March 3, 2004

Article

Relationship between vegetative cells and cyst production during Alexandriumminutum bloom in Arenys de Mar harbour (NW Mediterranean)

Esther Garcés 1*, Isabel Bravo 2, Magda Vila 1, Rosa Isabel Figueroa 2, Mercedes Masó 1, and Nagore Sampedro 1

1 Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
2 Instituto Oceanografico Vigo, Vigo, Spain

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: esther{at}icm.csic.es.


  Abstract

A recurrent Alexandrium minutum bloom in the Arenys de Mar harbour (Catalan coast, North Western Mediterranean) was monitored in order to establish the relationship between vegetative cells and cyst production. The bloom lasted from 21 January to 24 February 2002 and reached cell concentrations of up to 47 106 cell L-1. Two aspects related to the resting cysts deposition were studied: 1) production of resting cyst during the bloom period (by means of sediment traps) and 2) distribution of resting cyst in the sediment after the bloom (May 2002). Cyst formation in Arenys clearly started in a period with high vegetative cell densities in the water column. Once production was initiated encystment fluxes remained constant for two weeks, and covering the periods of maintenance and decline of the bloom. High cyst fluxes (up to 6000 cysts cm2 day-1) were quantified as a result of the high vegetative cell concentration. Moreover, encystment occurring in less than 1% of the total population indicates that most of the cells are not involved in resting cysts formation. A comparison of the resting cyst flux values obtained from the sediment traps and the resting cyst concentrations in surface sediment (628-3270 cysts cm-3) three months later, revealed that the number of cysts in the sediment decreased during that time. The studies of excystment showed a high germination percentage (91%) and germling viability (100%). These data, together with the resting cyst distribution in the sediment, are important in assessing the role of resting cysts in the bloom dynamics of A. minutum in confined waters.


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