Vertical size distribution of phytoplankton in the western Mediterranean Sea during early summer

Size fractions of chlorophyll a (chl a) < 10, < 3 and < 1 pm were measured by fluonmetry in 2 areas of the Mediterranean Sea: the Ligurian Sea and the Algerian Basin. Most of the particulate matter containing chl a in the photic zone was very small 80 to 100 O/O passed through a 10 pm mesh net; 30 to 80 % and 20 to 60 % passed through 3 and 1 pm nuclepore membranes respectively. The chlorophyll biomass of each size class was maximum m the surface or subsurface chlorophyll m m m u n l layer. During the summer stratification, the relative importance of the < 10 Km fraction in the water column, calculated as percentage of chlorophyll < 10 pm versus total chlorophyll, did not change; but the percentages of the < 3 and < 1 urn fractions were maxlmum at the top and at the bottom of the photlc zone and minimum in the chl a maxlmum layer, where phytoplankton > 3 pm represented more than 60 % of the chl a biomass. A comparison w t h Literature data from tropical waters shows significant differences for the distribution of the < 1 pm fraction, but not for the < 3 and < 10 pm fractions.

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