Fuentes Figueroa, Dihalia

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    Variation of planktonic community structure along the Orinoco River plume
    (2007) Fuentes Figueroa, Dihalia; Morell Rodríguez, Julio M.; College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences; Corredor, Jorge; Otero Morales, Ernesto; González Lagoa, Juan G.; Aponte, Nilda; Department of Marine Sciences; Alfaro, Mónica
    The planktonic biomass size structure of tropical and subtropical oceans exerts significant control on the ocean’s atmospheric carbon sequestering potential. Understanding the spatial distribution of such structure in the Eastern Caribbean waters, under the influence of the Orinoco River Plume (ORP), may provide further insight on the role of the latter in carbon sequestration. Phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass, size structure and taxonomic composition were estimated in surface waters at stations ranging from near-estuarine conditions, from the Gulf of Paria (GOP) in the southeastern Caribbean, to open ocean conditions off the southern coast of Puerto Rico. Plankton near the Gulf of Paria was dominated by microphytoplankton and mesozooplankton indicating the occurrence of an herbivorous-metazoan food chain; conditions favorable for net carbon flux into the ocean. A sharp decrease in planktonic biomass was observed along the ORP. Such reduction in biomass was followed by changes in predominant planktonic cell sizes with nanozooplankton, largely composed by heterotrophic flagellates, and nanophytoplankton becoming dominant at the northernmost stations farthest removed from riverine influence. Moreover these changes in the planktonic community from large to small cells suggest a continuum in the trophic pathways from an herbivorous food web to a multivorous food web to a microbial food web. Our findings document the spatiotemporal evolution of river-influenced tropical planktonic communities and suggest significant spatial variability of potential carbon sequestration along the ORP.