Water samples and environmental data were examined at four stations at biweekly or monthly intervals, depending on the period, from February 1990 to December 1999. Phytop/ankton composition was estimated in these samples.

The abiotic parameters revealed a difference in  environmental conditions between the outer area of the lagoon and those closer to the coast. Phytoplankton structure was quite consistent among different areas of the lagoon. Absolute abundance was very different among classes, with Chlorophyceae much more abundant than Bacillariophyceae. Haptophyceae and Chrysophyceae were the least represented classes. Density of classes reached peaks in different periods of the year, suggesting a recurrent pattern in taxa succession

Ceccherelli, Giulia

Fiocca, Fatima

Lugliè, Antonella Gesuina Laura

Sechi, Nicola

UnissResearch

A. LUGLlÈ, F. FIOCCA, G. CECCHERELLI, N. SECHI 
TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF PHYTOPLANKTON SPECIES 
COMPOSITION AND MAIN ENVIRONMENT AL VARIABLES IN 
SANTA GIUSTA LAGOON (CENTRAL-WESTERN SARDINIA) 
DISTRIBUZIONE TEMPORALE DELLA COMPOSIZIONE SPECIFICA 
DEL FITOPLANCTON E DEI PRINCIPALI PARAMETRI 
AMBIENTALI NELLO STAGNO DI SANTA GIUSTA 
(SARDEGNA CENTRO-OCCIDENTALE) 
Estratto da: 
BIOLOGIA MARINA MEDITERRANEA, Periodico edito dalla Societò Italiano di Biologia Morino 
VoI. 8 • fase. 1 • 2001 (PARTE PRIMA) • SHARM EL SHE/KH (13· 20 Maggio 2000) 
Biol. Mar. Medit. (2001), 8 (1): 332-337 
A. LUGLlÈ, F. FIOCCA, G. CECCHERELLI, N. SECHI 
Dipartimento di Botanica ed Ecologia Vegetale, Università di Sassari, 
Via F. Muroni 25, 07100 Sassari, Italia. 
TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF PHYTOPLANKTON SPECIES 
COMPOSITION AND MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES IN 
SANTA GIUSTA LAGOON (CENTRAL-WESTERN SARDINIA) 
DISTRIBUZIONE TEMPORALE DELLA COMPOSIZIONE SPECIFICA 
DEL FITOPLANCTON E DEI PRINCIPALI PARAMETRI 
AMBIENTALI NELLO STAGNO DI SANTA GIUSTA 
(SARDEGNA CENTRO-OCCIDENTALE) 
Abstract 
Water samp/es and environmenta/ data were examined at four stations at biweek/y or month/y 
interva/s, depending on the period, from February 1990 to December 1999. Phytop/ankton composition 
was estimated in these samp/es. 
The abiotic parameters revea/ed a difference in environmenta/ conditions between the outer area 
of the /agoon and those closer to the coast. Phytop/ankton structure was quite consistent among 
different areas of the /agoon. Abso/ute abundance was very different among classes, with Ch/orophyceae 
much more abundant than Bacillariophyceae. Haptophyceae and Chrysophyceae were the /east 
represented classes. Density of classes reached peaks in different periods of the year, suggesting 
a recurrent pattern in taxa succession. 
Key-words: coasta/ /agoons. phytop/ankton succession, species composition. 
Introduction 
Coastal lagoons are autonomous dynamic systems with a high productivity 
potential and a number of common geo-morphological and ecological features 
(Nixon, 1982). These areas have naturalisti c importance but also play a great 
economic role: in the Mediterranean, for example, more than a half of the larger 
lagoons are used for aquaculture (for both fish and shellfish) (Bacher et al., 
1995, Sorokin et al., 1999). In coastal lagoons dominant primary producers vary 
most1y in relation to morphological characteristics of the site, hydrodynamics 
and nutrient supply; depending on the c1imatic region in which they are located, 
different altemation in seasonal dominant component occurs (Knoppers, 1994). 
Santa Giusta Lagoon (Fig. l), the widest brackish basin of the west Sardinia 
(Italy), seems a macroalgal-based lagoon where the dominance of macroalgae 
(mainly Ulva spp.) and phytoplankton altemates depending mostly on life cycle 
characteristics of the former species and the successive nutrient recycling. In 
these last 15 years, the enhanced nutrient availability due to urban waters and 
industriaI discharges has caused marked changes in the environment, with a 
progressive increase in summer dystrophic crisis, macroalgal blooms and extensive 
fish mortality (Sechi et al., 2000). 
In this paper we define the intra-annual dynamics of phytoplankton and the 
most important environment al parameters by analysing IO years data obtained 
through biweekly and monthly collection since 1990. 
Phytoplankton species composition in Santa Giusta lagoon 333 
S. Giusta Lagoon 
Fig. l - Santa Giusta Lagoon showing the sampling stations and its position in Sardinia. 
La Laguna di Santa Giusta, stazioni di campionamento e localizzazione in Sardegna. 
Materials and methods 
Santa Giusta lagoon (39°52 'N g036'E) has a surface area of about g km2 
and a mean depth of l m. The lagoon is almost circular and choked, divided 
from the sea by a sandy barrier; it communicates with the sea mainly through 
Pesaria Channel (about 3 km long). Half-way down the Pesaria Channel, a fish 
catch system was built and it caused a considerable depth and width reduction, 
with heavy consequences on the tide exchange volume. Water exchange peri od 
was bimonthly, due to an inflow of 170 x 106 m3 y-I , whose 30 were freshwater. 
Water samples and ambient physical and chemical data were examined at four 
stations at biweekly and monthly intervals, depending on the period, from February 
1990 to December 1999. Station l , 2, 3 correspond to the inner areas while 
station 4 to the outer area. 
Temperature and salinity were measured using a multiparameter probe Idronaut. 
For phytoplankton analysis, water samples were collected at surface (0.5 m depth) 
and fixed using 4% neutralised formalin. Other samples were transferred to the 
laboratory where total inorganic N (ammonium + nitrate + nitrite nitrogen), total 
334 A. LUGuÈ, F. FIOCCA, G. CECCHEREW, N. SEcm 
P, reactive silica (Strickland and Parsons, 1972) and chlorophyll a (se OR-
UNESeO, 1966) were measured. Phytoplankton composition was estimated 
following Utermohl method (1931). 
Results 
The lagoon was characterised by high nutrient concentrations (Fig. 2), with 
inorganic total N reaching peaks in winter and total P in February. Temporal 
fluctuations of these variables have shown lower concentrations in the middle 
500 
et) 400 
'E 
Z300 
Cl 
E 200 
-o- st1 -D- st2 -.tr- sta ___ st4 
Totallnorganic Nitrogen Total Phosphorus 
300 
250 
3 
200<.0 
"'O 
150 3 1" 
100 
O~~~~~~~~~~~ 
100 
~~~~~ __ ~~ ____ ~~~~50 
35 
30 
25 
20 
15 
10 
Temperature Reactive silica 8 
6 
3 
<.O 
4 Q? 
5~~~ ____ ~~~--~~~~~ 
45 
40 
35 
30 
25 
20 
Salinity Chlorophyll5! 
30 
25 
20 
3 
15 (Q 
3 
10 ÙJ 
15 5 
10 O 
J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D 
Fig. 2 - Temporal distributions of abiotic data (temperature, salinity, reactive silica, total inorganic 
N, total P, Chlorophyll a) in each station: monthly means and SE were calculated from 
lO years of data (1990-1999). 
Fluttuazione temporale dei parametri abiotici (temperatura, salinità, silice, N totale inor-
ganico, P totale, clorofilla a) in ogni stazione: le medie mensili e l'ES sono state calcolate 
dai dati raccolti in 10 anni (1990-1999). 
Phytoplankton species composition in Santa Giusta lagoon 335 
area of the lagoon than in the coastal area. Reactive silica great1y increased in 
summer; values relative to the outer part did not undergo seasonal fluctuations. 
Clear seasonal fluctuations were evident for water temperature and salinity, 
as expected. Slightly different values were observed for the outer station that 
probably is more influenced by marine conditions. Chlorophyll a also fluctuated 
greatly during the year, showing maximum values in J anuary sharply decreasing 
unti l ApriI and increasing again during summer. In autumn chlorophyll a 
concentration was very low, in the whole lagoon. 
Phytoplankton dynamics was c1ass-specific since peaks relative to each taxon 
occurred in different periods of the year (Fig. 3). The species responsible for 
peaks within the single classes often change depending on the year, except for 
Chlorophyceae for which the abundance of Chlorella sp. always determined the 
greatest density. Chlorophyceae dominated with high densities during the first 
months of the year, when nutrient supply was high and temperature and salinity 
were low. Bacillariophyceae showed higher density during J anuary and August; 
the latter peak corresponded to high concentration of reactive silica. The other 
classes showed short peaks that occurred mostly during summer and early 
autumn. 
Discussion 
The abiotic parameters evidenced that in Santa Giusta Lagoon a difference 
occurs in ambient condition between the outer area of the lagoon and the ones 
c10ser to the coast. This feature suggests that the former area is more influenced 
by marine conditions and the latter ones are more influenced by fresh water 
discharges. Overall environrnental conditions indicate the high trophic status of the 
lagoon and rapid variations in nutrient concentration, salinity and temperature. 
Phytoplankton structure was quite consistent among areas of the lagoon, 
suggesting that good mechanisms of homogenisation operate at the site. Absolute 
abundance was very different among c1asses, being Chlorophyceae much more 
abundant than Bacillariophyceae. Haptophyceae and Chrysophyceae were the least 
represented classes. 
Density of classes reached peaks in different periods of the year, suggesting 
a trend in taxa successione Winter and summer maximum values correspond to 
periods of high nutrient availability, in the former period because of high rainfall 
and consequent freshwater supply from the catchment area next to the lagoon, 
and in the latter period because of macroalgae decomposition. 
Riassunto 
In questo studio è stata esaminata la distribuzione temporale dei maggiori gruppi di microalghe 
e dei parametri ambientali dal febbraio 1990 al dicembre 1999. Con cadenza quindicinale o mensile, 
a seconda del periodo, sono stati prelevati campioni d'acqua in 4 stazioni nell'ambito della laguna 
sia per la determinazione delle caratteristiche ambientali che per l'analisi del fitoplancton. 
L'andamento dei parametri ambientali considerati ha evidenziato una differenza tra l'area lagunare 
più esterna e quelle più vicine alla costa. Nonostante ciò la struttura del fitoplancton è risultata 
abbastanza uniforme tra le stazioni della laguna. L'abbondanza assoluta è molto diversa tra classi. 
Le Chlorophyceae sono state molto più abbondanti delle altre classi. Le Haptophyceae e le 
Chrysophyceae sono le classi meno rappresentate. La densità delle classi ha raggiunto picchi di 
abbondanza in differenti periodi dell'anno suggerendo un andamento ricorrente nella successione dei 
taxa. 
336 A. LUGuÈ, F. FIOCCA, G. CECCHEREW, N. SECHI 
16000 
Mean density (cells 103 l'l) 
--<>- st1 -O- st2 -.- s13 ___ st4 2000 
12000 Bacillariophyceae Cryptophyceae 1500 
8000 1000 
4000 500 
O~~ __ ~~~~~~~~~~~!§~~~~~~~O 
1000000 3000 
Chlorophyceae 
750000 2250 
500000 1500 
250000 750 
0~~~T-~'-~~~~~~ _______ -4~~~~~~~~ __ ~0 
100 2400 
75 1800 
50 1200 
25 600 
o-'--___ ~ ....... ~~~ ....... ......._t ... ~~~!!~~~~~J_O 
800 10000 
600 7500 
400 5000 
200 2500 
o~~~~~~~~~~~~ __ ~~~~~~~~=-~~O 
8000 480000 
Cyanophyceae 
6000 360000 
4000 240000 
2000 120000 
J F M M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D 
Fig. 3 - Temporal distributions of phytopIankton density of principI e taxonomic groups in each 
station of Santa Giusta Lagoon. Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Haptophyceae, 
Chrysophyceae, Euglenophyceae, Cryptophyceae, Raphydophyceae, Dinophyceae, 
Ultraplankton, Cyanophyceae monthly means and SE were calculated from IO yeas (1990-
1999) data (n=12-15). 
Fluttuazione temporale della densità delle principali classi di fitoplancton in ogni stazione 
dello Stagno di Santa Giusta. Le medie mensili e l'ES per Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, 
Haptophyceae, Chrysophyceae, Euglenophyceae, Cryptophyceae, Raphydophyceae, 
Dinophyceae, Ultraplancton, Cyanophyceae sono state calcolate dai dati raccolti in IO 
anni (1990-1999) (n=12-15). 
Phytoplankton species composition in Santa Giusta lagoon 337 
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Temporal distribution of phytoplankton species composition and main environmental variables in Santa Giusta Lagoon (central-western Sardinia) =

Distribuzione temporale della composizione specifica del fitoplancton e dei principali parametri ambientali nello stagno di Santa Giusta (Sardegna centro-occidentale)

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