Assessment of a sheltered euhaline area of the southeastern Bay of Biscay to sustain bivalve production in terms of phytoplankton community composition

Oceanologia

José Germán Rodríguez¹  Oihane Muñiz²  Marta Revilla³  Aitor Laza-Martínez³  Sergio Seoane³  Jone Bilbao⁴ 

[1] Corresponding author at: Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa 48940, Spain. Tel.: [phone].;Research Centre for Experimental Marine Biology and Biotechnology (Plentzia Marine Station, PiE – UPV/EHU), University of the Basque Country, Plentzia, Spain;AZTI, Marine Research Division, Pasaia, Spain;Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain;

关键词: Phytoplankton community composition;    Biomass;    Physico-chemical variables;    Aquaculture;    Mussels;    Bay of Biscay;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

This study describes the phytoplankton community in sheltered euhaline waters of the Basque coast (southeastern Bay of Biscay). Phytoplankton composition, cell size, abundance, biomass and the presence of potentially toxic taxa, together with chlorophyll a, nutrients and hydrographic and optical conditions were measured, from August 2016 to August 2017, in the Mutriku port, with the main aim of assessing the suitability of the phytoplankton community as a food resource for bivalves. The water column in Mutriku showed the typical environmental conditions of Basque marine waters, with no significant nutrient enrichment caused by anthropogenic pressures. Haptophytes represented the greatest contribution to cell abundance (31–47%), and diatoms were the dominant group in terms of biomass (52–79%), which could favour mussel growth due to their high fatty acid content. In addition, the size structure of the phytoplankton community was suitable for mussel ingestion, since the predominant cell size was 2–20 µm. Regarding toxic phytoplankton, the genera that pose a risk for human health and those that affect negatively mussel physiology and survival were considered. Altogether, ten toxic phytoplankton taxa were identified, contributing in less than 5% to the total cell abundance of Mutriku. However, median chlorophyll a concentration was low (0.5 µg L−1), reflecting the oligotrophic conditions of the area. Therefore, even if the composition of the phytoplankton community could be favourable for bivalve aquaculture, biomass values are low compared to other zones of bivalve production.

【 授权许可】

Unknown