Seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton in Chupa inlet (White Sea, Kandalaksha Bay)

For the first time since 1994, in March–November 2017, the dynamics of the structure and abundance of phytoplankton was studied at different depths in the White Sea. The abundance of algae varied from 3.8∙10⁶ to 3,519∙10⁶ cells/m³. Phytoplankton biomass ranged from 0.2 to 90 mg C/m³ and, with some exceptions, was the highest in the surface layer of the water column (0–5 m). The algal abundance and biomass integrated throughout the water column varied from0.2∙10⁹ to 68.5∙10⁹ cells/m² and 0.01 to 1.38 g C/m², respectively. Two peaks of phytoplankton biomass were identified – in early May after the ice removal and in early September. The summer peak of biomass recorded by previous studies in the surface layers in July has not been observed, which was caused by the dominance of smaller nanoplankton prasinophyte and cryptophyte algae and dinoflagellates. The change of dominant species may be related to the general tendency of decrease of the contribution of large species and increase of the heterotrophic component in phytoplankton in conditions of more pronounced stratification of the water column caused by the climate warming.

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