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ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil 1998 55(4):680-687; doi:10.1006/jmsc.1998.0401
© 1998 by ICES/CIEM International Council for the Exploration of the Sea/Conseil International pour l'Exploration de la Mer
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Temporal and spatial variability of phytoplankton and chlorophyll a: lessons from the south coast of Norway and the Skagerrak

Einar Dahl and Tore Johannessen

Institute of Marine Research, Flødevigen Marine Research Station N-4817, His, Norway. Tel: +47 37 05 90 00; fax: +47 37 05 90 01; e-mail: einar.dahl{at}imr.no; torejo{at}imr.no

Regular monitoring of phytoplankton has been carried out on the Norwegian Skagerrak coast three times a week since 1989, and samples from the upper 3 m of the water column have been analysed for chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations and dominant species. Selected potentially toxic or harmful species of phytoplankton have also been quantified. Chl a appears to fluctuate considerably on a short time scale (2–3 days), and simple analyses suggest that Chl a should be measured at least twice a week to obtain reliable annual estimates. By contrast, at the inshore monitoring station Chl a is significantly correlated with transect measurements across most of the Skagerrak, indicating a high spatial homogeneity. Hence, measurements at the inshore stations are likely to reflect concentrations over a large area and meteorological conditions are suggested to be the most likely driving force controlling the variability. The traditional view of a marked spring and autumn bloom in temperate stratified waters does not seem to be a predominant feature of the production cycle in the Skagerrak. In fact, Chl a concentrations > 4µg l–1 rarely last for more than a week. In addition to short-term variability, there is also high inter-annual variability in the production cycle. This picture is reinforced by large variations in species composition of the phytoplankton community; the abundance of all species analysed varies substantially from one year to the next.

Keywords: Chlorophyll a, phytoplankton, Skagerrak, variability


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