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- Title
Diversity and seasonality in structure of ciliate communities in the Neva Estuary (Baltic Sea).
- Authors
Mironova, Ekaterina; Telesh, Irena; Skarlato, Sergei
- Abstract
Diversity and structure of ciliate communities in the Neva Estuary (Baltic Sea) were studied at two near-shore stations from October 2007 to January 2009. Ciliates from 111 taxa were detected, including new records of 24 species for the Baltic Sea. The ciliate taxa were grouped into size-categories and trophic guilds and their species composition, abundance and biomass were monitored in different seasons. Two distinct associations replaced each other during seasonal succession at water temperatures 5–12°C. During the warm season (late April–October) ciliate communities were composed essentially of pico- and nano-filterers (mostly algivorous) that became less important in the cold season (October–early April). The predator, Monodinium balbiani, and bactivorous peritrichs were characteristic of the warm season, while in the cold season, other predatory (Lacrymaria coronata group) and bactivorous (Cyclidium spp., Aspidisca sp., Chilodonella sp.) ciliates occurred. The most abundant size groups were small ciliates (20–30 μm) and nanociliates (<20 μm). A proportion of large ciliates (>60 μm) increased in the cold season due to the appearance of benthic species in the plankton. Total ciliate abundance and biomass ranged 0.12–10.3 × 103 ind L−1 and 0.3–53.3 µg C L−1, respectively. An unusual winter peak of the ciliate Trithigmostoma sp. was observed (32.8 µg C L−1) although generally the overall ciliate numbers decreased in the cold season.
- Subjects
BALTIC Sea; CILIATA; BIODIVERSITY; ESTUARIES; PROTOZOAN populations; WATER temperature; BENTHIC ecology
- Publication
Journal of Plankton Research, 2012, Vol 34, Issue 3, p208
- ISSN
0142-7873
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/plankt/fbr095