| Abstract: | Hydrographical parameters, phytoplankton productivity and plankton composition were determined over a five-month period in the Bay of Plencia, a coastal area located in the mouth of the river Butron in Biscay, Basque Country. The water column was moderately mixed during most of the study period, which lasted from February to June 1985. Nutrient levels showed high temporal variability and were affected by both river runoff and seasonal biological processes. Nutrients were present most of the time in relatively high concentrations and most of them decreased in late spring. Phytoplankton size structure analysis showed that nanoplankton had the higher chlorophyll content and was responsible for most of the primary production. The phytoplankton showed changes in community composition resulting from the normal progression of the winter-spring conditions. Short-lived peaks of diatom concentration in the spring were followed by periods of low abundance, when maxima of Cladocera and Appendicularia occurred. Total zooplankton showed two peaks of abundance in mid-winter and mid-spring, respectively. Nauplii of Copepoda, juvenile stages of Calanoida and nauplii of Cirripedia were responsible for the two peaks, together with highly seasonal groups (Cladocera, Appendicularia and Cnidaria) in the spring maxima.Primary production seems to be driven by physical processes (temperature, short photoperiod and storms) in winter, whereas depletion of nutrients and grazing by zooplankton are responsible for phytoplankton minima between peaks of abundance in the growing season. Two temporal phases were apparent when the data were analysed by a principal component analysis. |
