Some Phytoplankton Blooms in the Virgin Islands

Résumé du livre

In contrast to the low levels of chlorophyll and carbon assimilation observed in oceanic waters of the Caribbean, phytoplankton blooms in certain shallow bays of the Virgin Islands have been observed to attain chlorophyll values in the range from 25 to 206 mg/m3 and fix carbon at varying levels up to at least 2152 mg C/m3·day. Meteorological data suggest that pronounced blooms of Ceratium hircus in Cruz Bay, St. John and Peridinium quadridens in Benner Bay, St. Thomas, were stimulated by land runoff, introducing nutrients and lowering the salinity to about 60% of the usual value. The bloom of Ceratium hircus produced 1.5 grams of dry matter per day per square meter. Proximate analyses of C. hircus indicated a high proportion of carbohydrate, 53.2%; lesser amounts of fiber, 9.9%; and protein, 11.3%; and a small quantity of fat, 3.5%. Chemical composition varies with species and conditions.