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Marine planktonic diatoms in the Lim Bay (NE Adriatic Sea)

Lim Bay is a 10 km long fjord like embayment situated on the west side of Istrian peninsula (NE Adriatic Sea) with a number of underwater freshwater springs contributing to the higher nutrient input (dissolved silica and nitrogen) to this area. In the inner and middle part of the bay there are fish and shellfish farming activities present. Taxonomic composition of phytoplankton as well as abundance in relation to physical and chemical parameters was investigated in the period from March 2002 to November 2007. The phytoplankton was dominated by diatoms throughout the whole year with species diversity reaching minimum in winter and maximum during summer/autumn months. Total of 102 diatom taxa were identified. The diatoms were dominated in different periods by Pseudo-nitzschia spp., Nitzschia longissima (Brébisson) Ralfs, Ceratoneis closterium Ehrenb., Leptocylindrus danicus Cleve, Thalassionema nitzschioides (Grunow) Meresch. and Skeletonema sp. Most dominant Chaetoceros species were found to be C. socialis Lauder., C. vixvisibilis Schiller and C. compressus Lauder. Diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia was of special interest, since several species of the genus have been associated with the production of domoic acid, a neurotoxic amino acid responsible for Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP). In August 2007 dominant Pseudo-nitschia species corresponded to P. cuspidata (Hasle) emend. Lundholm, Hasle et Moestrup while in October the same year P. caliantha Lundhum, Hasle et Moestrup largely dominated the community. The research provided detailed descriptions, as well as seasonal distribution of diatoms found in the bay.

Diatoms; phytoplankton; Lim Bay; Adriatic Sea

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