Investigations on the plankton community of Bals-fjorden, Northern Norway

Abstract

Quantitative phytoplankton samples were collected at one station from February 1976 to November 1978. The seasonal and vertical distribution of the phytoplankton is described. Two periods of abundance were recorded during the growth season which lasted from March to October. The spring bloom reached a maximum around the third week of April, when the main phytoplankton species were Chaetoceros spp,, Nitzschia grunowii, and Phaeocystis pouchetii. The relatively short autumn bloom (August-September) consisted of Phaeocystis, coccolithophorids, and diatom nanoplankters. The winter season (November-February) was characterized by negligible phytoplankton population. Comparisons are made with other areas. Chaetoceros socialis, Phaeocystis pouchetii, and Skeletonema costatum are common components of the spring phytoplankton along the coast. The main species composition in the fjords of northern Norway is similar during the spring.