Long-term survey of algae of the Lena Delta Wildlife Reserve including data on chemistry of waters

Study Extent

The lower reaches of the Lena River and Lena Delta, adjoining areas of the Laptev Sea (Tiksi Bay, Neyelova Gulf and Buor-Khaya Gulf); lakes, streams and swampy areas of lower Lena River basin area; waterbodies and watercourses on Kotelny island (New Siberian Islands archipelago). Sampling temporal coverage: summer of 1972 - August 8, 2018.

Sampling

Plankton sampling was performed by water filtering using plankton net from 20 to 30 um. Benthic and periphytic algae were collected using a sample collection jar, a pocketknife or similar device for scraping algae from hard substrates and a pipette for suctioning algae from soft substrates. The preservative for algal samples is 4% Formalin solution.

Method steps

1. Sample analysis Algae identification and phytoplankton abundance counting were performed under an Olympus BH2 light microscope. Preparations of diatoms were produced from separate samples. Cold burning was used to remove organic matter from diatom valves (Balonov, 1975). Preparations of diatoms were examined under a Quanta 200 and JEOL 7800 F scanning electron microscopes and LEO 906E transmission electron microscope.
2. Phytoplankton abundance and biomass counting Phytoplankton abundance was measured and expressed as cell numbers (individuum/l). Nageotte chamber was used to cell counting. The cell volume of particular species was calculated by equate it to basic geometric figure. From the cell volume data, the biomass is simply derived by a rough assumption of a plasma density of 1 mg/dm3.
3. Methods for water chemical analyses Gas regime components (O2, BOD5, and CO2) and some physical characteristics (transparency, odor, taste, and suspended matter) were determined in situ. Concentrations of other chemicals were determined in the laboratory. Salinity of water as sum of ions: sulfate anions were determined by turbidimetry; chlorides by mercurometry; hydrocarbonates by back titration; water hardiness by complexometric titration using eriochrome black; calcium titrometrically with trilon B; potassium and sodium cations by flame photometry; phenols and petrochemicals by fluorescence chromatography using a Fluorat-02 spectrofluorometer; water pH was evaluated electrometrically using a Multitest IPL-101 titrator; dissolved carbon dioxide by titration with phenolphthalein; dissolved oxygen by Winkler’s method (iodometry); easy-to-oxidize organic substances (from biological oxygen demand, BOD5) by Winkler’s method (iodometry); chemical oxygen demand with permanganate as the oxidant by titration with potassium permanganate; concentration of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy using an atomic emission spectrometer «AAnalyst».
4. Micro photographs For some occurrences micro photographs are provided.
5. Field data transferred to MS xl spreadsheets. Converted to Darwin Core Archive format using the dplyr and tidyr libraries in R (https://github.com/andersfi/DwC)

Algae and cyanobacteria belonging to 11 phyla (Cyanobacteria Stanier ex Cavalier-Smit, Euglenozoa Cavalier-Smith, Ochrophyta Cavalier-Smith, Bacillariophyta, Miozoa, Cryptophyta, Katablepharidophyta N.Okamoto & I.Inouye, Rhodophyta, Chlorophyta, Charophyta and Fungi) and identified to species, variety, form or genus.

1. Cyanobacteria
   rank: phylum
2. Euglenozoa
   rank: phylum
3. Ochrophyta
   rank: phylum
4. Bacillariophyta
   rank: phylum
5. Miozoa
   rank: phylum
6. Cryptophyta
   rank: phylum
7. Katablepharidophyta
   rank: phylum
8. Rhodophyta
   rank: phylum
9. Chlorophyta
   rank: phylum
10. Charophyta
    rank: phylum
11. Fungi
    rank: phylum

Lena Delta Wildlife Reserve, including the lower reaches of the Lena River and Lena Delta distributary channels, adjoining areas of the Laptev Sea (Tiksi Bay, Neyelova Gulf and Buor-Khaya Gulf); lakes, streams and swampy areas of the lower Lena River basin area; waterbodies and watercourses on Kotelny island (New Siberian Islands archipelago).