TITLE	Spatial variability of phytoplankton production and the implications of its controlling mechanisms in the coastal zone near the river mouth of the Lanyang Hsi
AUTHOR	Fuh-Kwo Shiah Global Change Research Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China Shuh-Ji Kao Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China Gwo-Ching Gong Department of Oceanography, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China Kon-Kee Liu Global Change Research Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
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ABSTRACT	Spatial patterns of phytoplankton properties, including primary production, chlorophyll a concentrations and normalized production indices in the coastal zone near the river mouth of the Lanyang Hsi were investigated during high tide in September of 1994. Concentrations of inorganic nutrients (nitrate and phosphate) and particulate organic carbon were also measured simultaneously. Three types of water¡X including river mouth water, seawater, and mixed water ¡Xwere categorized due to the patchiness of measured variables in the study area. Extremely low values of phytoplankton properties observed in the nutrient-laden and turbid river mouth water indicates that light intensity is the major limiting factor on photosynthesis processes. In contrast, nutrient availability may limit the growth of phytoplankton in the seawater area where nutrient concentrations were lower than the half saturation constants for nutrient uptake. Nutrient data which deviated from the conservative mixing line indicated that the mixed water area may be a source of nutrients via sediments diagenensis processes. The coincidence of the high nutrient concentrations and high phytoplankton properties in the mixed water area suggests phytoplankton growth rates are probably not limited by nutrient supply. Since the mouth of the Lanyang Hsi is very narrow and shallow, nutrient-laden river water can be rapidly mixed with seawater. The relatively short residence time of riverine nutrients combined with the low phytoplankton activities in the river mouth may lead to more nutrients available for the growth of phytoplankton in the marine part.
KEYWORD	Coastal zone; Inorganic nutrients; Phytoplankton growth rates; Spatial variability; Tide; Turbidity; Wave;
ARTICLE INFO	Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica, Volume 37 Number 1 January 1996, page 9-15, 7 pages
PUBLISHER	Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China