• Citer

Short-term variability in primary productivity during a wind driven diatom bloom in the Gulf of Eilat (Aqaba).

par Iluz, David;Dishon, Gal;Capusso, Elisa;Znachor, Peter;Meeder, Efrat;Astoreca, Rosa ;Montecino, Vivian;Marra, John
Référence Aquatic microbial ecology, 56, page (205-215)
Publication Publié, 2009

Article révisé par les pairs

• Accès en ligne
• Détails
• Contenu
• Statistiques

Résumé :

In the northern Gulf of Eilat (Aqaba), sharp increases in the biomass of diatoms and rates of primary production occurred in April 2008. Within 24 h, diatom abundance rose from 8 Ã- 103 to 228 Ã- 10 3 cells l-1, and photosynthetic rates concomitantly doubled from 15 to 35 μg C l-1 d-1. Water transparency declined, as indicated by the vertical diffusion attenuation coefficient K d for photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), which increased from 0.076 to 0.090 m-1 and decreased the euphotic depth from 60 to 45 m. During this time, a significant increase in silica deposition by the diatoms was also detected. We attribute the mentioned changes in environmental characteristics to wind-generated surface currents. Strong winds (up to 10 m s-1) during the measurements enriched the surface layers with unusually high nutrient concentrations within.