Multiscale variability of twenty-two coastal phytoplankton time series: A global scale comparison

We provide an introduction and a foreword to the Special Issue "Phytoplankton Time Series in Estuaries and Coastal Ecosystems". This issue includes long-term investigations (10-40 years) of 22 coastal ecosystems and a comparative analysis of chlorophyll a from 84 time series. The results and conclusions provided by these studies help to illuminate the disparities and similarities in long-term phytoplankton dynamics among a wide range of coastal systems and provide insight into the major driving factors responsible for short- and long-term trends in phytoplankton communities. © 2010 Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation