The effect of salinity and water density on phytoplankton size
Journal of Oceanology and Limnology, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s00343-026-5133-5
- Dergi Adı: Journal of Oceanology and Limnology
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, INSPEC, Zoological Record, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Earth, Atmospheric, & Aquatic Science Collection (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: buoyancy, colonial phytoplankton, cyanobacteria, meromictic lake, mesocosm experiment
- Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Phytoplankton size and morphology are key traits influencing their ecological roles, buoyancy, and susceptibility to grazing. We investigated how water density, driven by salinity and temperature, affects phytoplankton size structure in two systems: (1) a observational study in a saline (~14) meromictic Lake Shira (Russia), characterized by seasonal water column stratification; and (2) the gradient experiment at the METU Mesocosm System II (Türkiye) with a large salinity gradient (0.5–50). In Lake Shira, while the overall phytoplankton community showed no consistent size variations across seasons or depth zones, colonies of the cyanobacterium Microcystis and filaments of cyanobacterium Planktolyngbya contorta exhibited larger area based diameters in denser, more saline deep waters compared to the less dense epilimnion in summer and fall and a positive response of the area-based diameter to the increase in water viscosity. In the system of 5 000-L mesocosms, phytoplankton average diameter increased with salinity, likely compensating for reduced sinking velocity in denser water. These findings suggest that water density influences phytoplankton size, particularly in species with colonial forms; however, ecological implications for food web dynamics remain uncertain. Our study highlights the complex interplay of physical and biological factors shaping phytoplankton size structure in saline ecosystems.