The spatial distribution of plankton picocyanobacteria on the shelf of the Kara, Laptev, and East Siberian Seas

The spatial distribution of picocyanobacteria on the arctic longitude transect passing through the shelf of the Kara, Laptev and East Siberian seas from 58° to 168° E was studied. In the Kara Sea the picocyanobacteria abundance averaged 0.48±1.2 10⁹ cell/m³, in the Laptev Sea — 0.16±0.24∙10⁹ cell/m³, in the East Siberian Sea — 0.25±0.43∙10⁹ cell/m³. The abundance fluctuations of photoautotrophic prokaryotes were determined by the presence of allochthones picocyanobacteria sources - river runoff and transformed North Atlantic waters. Highest abundances were observed in the areas of the runoff influence of the Siberian Rivers Ob, Khatanga, Indigirka and Kolyma and averaged 0.5∙10⁹ cell/m³ (river Ob), 0.2∙10⁹ cell/m³ (river Khatanga), 0.4∙10⁹ cell/m³ (river Indigirka) и 1.6∙10⁹ cell/m³ (river Kolyma). The average contribution of picocyanobacteria to the total abundance and biomass of picoforms in the western part of the Kara Sea was 37% and 36% respectively. In other areas, the average contribution of picocyanobacteria to the total abundance of photo trophic picoplankton did not exceed 7%, to the total biomass — 6%. A highly reliable (p<<0.01) positive correlation between the abundance and biomass of picocyanobacteria and the water temperature (p = 0.003) was revealed over the entire array of data obtained.

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