Efecto de los bajos en la estructura y composición de las comunidades fitoplanctonicas al norte y sur de la isla Santa Cruz, abril - octubre 2015

Abstract:

The small seamounts of the Galápagos Islands are fragile ecosystems of great importance in a biological, geological and oceanographic sense; however, there is a lack of updated information about them. The phytoplankton, single-cell microalgae, develops several important functions within the marine ecosystems and, in order to grow, one of their requirements is the presence of nutrients. These nutrients are dragged by currents towards the surface because of their interaction with obstacles as the small seamounts. For this study, six points were sampled around the Santa Cruz Island; two small seamounts in the north side plus a control point between them and the same in the south side. The objective is to determine the influence of the small seamounts of the Galápagos Island on the phytoplankton communities. Water samples were recollected with a Niskin bottle using five different depths of the water column for identification and counting of phytoplankton and for nutrient analysis in three different seasons: rainy, transition and dry, In addition to this, temperature, salinity and fluorescence maximum data was taken by the CTD. The results showed the dominance of Pseudo-Nitzschia cf. delicatissima in the rainy and transition seasons and the dominance of Corethron pennatum in the dry season; this last one was exclusive for this season...

Año de publicación:

2016

Keywords:

• ISLA SANTA CRUZ
• LOS BAJOS
• BIOLOGÍA MARINA
• COMUNIDAD FITOPLANCTONICAS

Fuente:

rraae