Phytoplankton Species Composition, Abundance and Cell Size in San Francisco Bay: Microscopic Analyses of USGS Samples Collected 1992-2014

James Cloern

doi:10.5066/f74f1p6p

Phytoplankton Species Composition, Abundance and Cell Size in San Francisco Bay: Microscopic Analyses of USGS Samples Collected 1992-2014

Citation

Cloern J, Benson A (2017). Phytoplankton Species Composition, Abundance and Cell Size in San Francisco Bay: Microscopic Analyses of USGS Samples Collected 1992-2014. United States Geological Survey. Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.5066/f74f1p6p accessed via GBIF.org on 2020-06-16. accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-13.

Description

This Data Release makes available measurements of phytoplankton species composition, abundance and cell size made on samples collected in San Francisco Bay (CA) from April 1992 through March 2014. Phytoplankton samples were collected at 31 stations along a 145-km transect where the variability of salinity, temperature, turbidity and nutrient concentrations reflected a broad range of environmental factors that regulate phytoplankton growth and abundance (map of sampling locations is available on the project website at: https://sfbay.wr.usgs.gov/access/wqdata/overview/wherewhen/stnmap.html). Whole water samples were preserved with acid Lugol’s solution, and 2 to 50 ml aliquots were settled in chambers for 6 to 24 hours (Utermöhl 1958). Phytoplankton cells were then counted and identified using a phase-contrast inverted microscope at 125x magnification, all cells greater than 30 μm diameter were enumerated. Cells smaller than 30 μm were counted at 1250x magnification; following the APHA (1989) strip count method, at least 100 cells of the most numerous taxon were counted. Cell volumes were estimated from measured linear dimensions and geometric formulas that varied with cell shapes. Phytoplankton samples representing 923 distinct date, station and depths were included. The 16,442 entries in this dataset include 609 different taxa within 11 functional groups. Diatoms dominated the total biovolume contributed by each functional group (77%) followed by dinoflagellates (14%) and cryptophytes (4.5%). The top 5 species contributing to the summed biovolume in all samples were: Thalassiosira punctigera, Chaetoceros socialis, Ditylum brightwellii, Thalassiosira rotula and Noctiluca scintillans. By frequency of occurrence, the top 5 species were: Teleaulax amphioxeia, Nannochloropsis spp., Plagioselmis prolonga var. nordica, Skeletonema costatum and Thalassiosira eccentrica.

Additional info

marine, harvest by iOBIS

Taxonomic Coverages

Geographic Coverages

San Francisco Bay, California

Bibliographic Citations

Utermöhl, H. 1958. Zur Vervollkommnung der quantitativen Phytoplankton-Methodik. Mitt Int Verh Theor Angew Limnology 9:1-38. - Not electronically available
APHA. 1989. Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. 17th edn. American Public Health Association, Washington, DC. - Not electronically available
Hillebrand H, Durselen C, Kirschtel D, Pollingher U, Zohary T. 1999. Biovolume calculation for pelagic and benthic microalgae. Journal of Phycology 35:403–424. - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1529-8817.1999.3520403.x/abstract
Wetzel RG, Likens GE. 1991. Limnological Analyses. 2nd edn. Springer-Verlag, New York. - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/rrr.3450070410/epdf

Contacts

James Cloern
originator
position: Senior (ST) Scientist
U.S. Geological Survey
Mail Stop 496, 345 Middlefield Road
Menlo Park
94025
CA
US
email: jecloern@usgs.gov

Abigail Benson
metadata author
position: Biologist
U.S. Geological Survey
email: albenson@usgs.gov

Abigail Benson
user
email: albenson@usgs.gov

James Cloern
administrative point of contact
position: Senior (ST) Scientist
U.S. Geological Survey
Mail Stop 496, 345 Middlefield Road
Menlo Park
94025
CA
US
email: jecloern@usgs.gov