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Phytoplankton biomass, light attenuation and mixing in the Shannon Estuary, Ireland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

T. G. McMahon ,
R. C. T. Raine ,
T. Fast ,
L. Kies  and
J. W. Patching
T. G. McMahon
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, University College, Galway, Ireland
R. C. T. Raine
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, University College, Galway, Ireland
T. Fast
Affiliation:
Institut fur Allgemeine Botanik, Ohnhorststrasse 18, D-2000 Hamburg, Germany
L. Kies
Affiliation:
Institut fur Allgemeine Botanik, Ohnhorststrasse 18, D-2000 Hamburg, Germany
J. W. Patching
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, University College, Galway, Ireland
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Extract

Distributions of suspended matter, light attenuation and chlorophyll a were measured in the Shannon Estuary over the period 1988–1990. Light attenuation was found to be highly correlated with levels of suspended matter, and the availability of underwater irradiance was found to be the dominant influence on phytoplankton biomass and chlorophyll levels over most of the estuary. Though levels of suspended matter, and hence light attenuation, were highest in the upper estuary, depths of mixing were relatively shallow resulting in less light limitation of phytoplankton growth than elsewhere. Turbidity maxima in the upper estuary were associated with chlorophyll maxima, the magnitude of which appeared to be related to river discharge.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 72 , Issue 3 , August 1992 , pp. 709 - 720
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1992

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