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Long Term Trends in the Occurrence of Phaeocystis Sp. in the North-East Atlantic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

N.J.P. Owens
Affiliation:
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH
D. Cook
Affiliation:
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH
M. Colebrook
Affiliation:
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH
H. Hunt
Affiliation:
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH
P.C. Reid
Affiliation:
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH

Extract

The effects of nutrient enrichment of natural water bodies range from small increases in plant biomass and production, to gross deterioration of water quality. The input of nutrients (e.g. nitrogen and phosphorus) to the sea off NW Europe (especially the North Sea) has increased dramatically over the last three or four decades (Folkard & Jones, 1974; Bennekom et al., 1975; Postma, 1978; Cadee, 1986a) but there is uncertainty about the effects on the ecosystem. One possible effect might be to induce changes in the phytoplankton community. Such an effect has been reported for the North Sea, where increases in flagellate algae have been observed (Gieskes & Kraay, 1977; Postma, 1985; Cadee, 1986b; Batje & Michaelis, 1986). Phaeocystis is one such alga, and its purported involvement in the formation of large quantities of foam, observed on European beaches (Batje & Michaelis, 1986; Weisse et al, 1986), together with evidence that the alga is a source of atmospheric sulphur compounds (Barnard et al, 1984) (with implications for atmospheric acidity), has attracted particular attention and concern

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1989

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