title: Dominance patterns in macroalgal and phytoplankton biomass under different nutrient loads in subtropical coastal lagoons of the SE Gulf of California.
abstract: Nine macroalgal blooms were studied in five coastal lagoons of the SE Gulf of California. The nutrient loads from point and diffuse sources were estimated in the proximity of the macroalgal blooms. Chlorophyll a and macroalgal biomass were measured during the dry, rainy and cold seasons. Shrimp farms were the main point source of nitrogen and phosphorus loads for the lagoons. High biomasses were found during the dry season for phytoplankton at site 6 (791.7±34.6 mg m(-2)) and during the rainy season for macroalgae at site 4 (296.0±82.4 g m(-2)). Depending on the season, the phytoplankton biomass ranged between 40.0 and 791.7 mg m(-2) and the macroalgal biomass between 1 and 296.0 g m(-2). The bulk biomass (phytoplankton+macroalgal) displayed the same tendency as the nutrient loads entering the coastal lagoons. Phytoplankton and macroalgal biomass presented a significant correlation with the atomic N:P ratio.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad Académica Mazatlán, Apdo. Postal 811, Mazatlán, Sinaloa 82040, Mexico; Miembro de El Colegio de Sinaloa, Antonio Rosales 435 Pte. Culiacan, Sinaloa 80000, Mexico. Electronic address: paezos@ola.icmyl.unam.mx.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Páez-Osuna
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piñón-Gimate
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ochoa-Izaguirre
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Fernández
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Reséndiz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alonso-Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008800:Mexico; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis; D010839:Phytoplankton / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development*; D012624:Seaweed / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002734:Chlorophyll; D010758:Phosphorus; D009584:Nitrogen; D000077194:Chlorophyll A
keywords: Coastal lagoon; Gulf of California; Limiting nutrient; Macroalgal blooms; Nutrient loads