Phytoplankton
93
The phytoplankton in waters over the reefs of the Indian Ocean was
investigated by French researchers. According to Sournia (1968) the diatoms
comprised about 30% of the total species, omitting the nanoplanktonic
algae. In lagoonal waters of the barrier reef of Tulear, Madagascar in total
152 species of diatoms and 158 species of dinoflagellates were listed. Most of
the mass species were usually in the surrounding oceanic waters, such as the
diatoms Chaetoceros danicum, Ch. decipiens, Ch. curvisetus, Coscinodiscus
lineatus, C. nodulifer, C. radiatus, Asterionella japonica, Navicula lyra,
Nitschia c/osterium, N. seriata, Rhizosolenia habirara, Thalassiosira
nitzschioides, Thallassiotrix frauenfeldii, and the dinoflagellates Ceratium
furca, c. fusus, c. horridum, C. pentagonum, Peridinium conicum, P.
oceanicum, P. depressum, Goniaulax polygramma, G. kofoedii, Prorocentrum micans, Pyrocistis lunnula. A significant part of phytoplankton
communities in waters of the Madagascar and Mauritian reefs was comprised by small silicoflagellates, coccolithophorides, naked flagellates and
picoplankton cyanobacteria (Travers and Travers 1965). The blue-green
alga Trichodesmium dominated in reef waters around the Nosy Be Island
Its dense blooms had been recorded in March, when its biomass attained
1.6gm- 3 (Fig. 3.8). We have observed the same there at the end of March
1983. Masses of wind-driven Trichodesmium were recorded accumulating
up the reefs of the Kavaratti atoll (Quasim 1970).
More recent studies of phytoplankton in reef areas of the Indian Ocean
and of the South China Sea were made with the use of more modern and
.-----------------------------------~?p
flt,8g
1flfl
J
2
Jfl
7
OL..----L--....I...._----I-===-_ _ L....-----I
I-II
m-IY Y-IY J!U-Ylll II-I XI-.xu
Fig. 3.8. Seasonal changes in phytoplankton in waters over reefs in the D. Ambaro bay,
Nosy Be I., Madagascar; B, and Bg total biomass of phytoplankton and biomass of
blue-green algae, gm- 3 of wet weight; P p , primary production, mgCm- 3 day-l.
(Modified from Angot 1968)
93
The phytoplankton in waters over the reefs of the Indian Ocean was
investigated by French researchers. According to Sournia (1968) the diatoms
comprised about 30% of the total species, omitting the nanoplanktonic
algae. In lagoonal waters of the barrier reef of Tulear, Madagascar in total
152 species of diatoms and 158 species of dinoflagellates were listed. Most of
the mass species were usually in the surrounding oceanic waters, such as the
diatoms Chaetoceros danicum, Ch. decipiens, Ch. curvisetus, Coscinodiscus
lineatus, C. nodulifer, C. radiatus, Asterionella japonica, Navicula lyra,
Nitschia c/osterium, N. seriata, Rhizosolenia habirara, Thalassiosira
nitzschioides, Thallassiotrix frauenfeldii, and the dinoflagellates Ceratium
furca, c. fusus, c. horridum, C. pentagonum, Peridinium conicum, P.
oceanicum, P. depressum, Goniaulax polygramma, G. kofoedii, Prorocentrum micans, Pyrocistis lunnula. A significant part of phytoplankton
communities in waters of the Madagascar and Mauritian reefs was comprised by small silicoflagellates, coccolithophorides, naked flagellates and
picoplankton cyanobacteria (Travers and Travers 1965). The blue-green
alga Trichodesmium dominated in reef waters around the Nosy Be Island
Its dense blooms had been recorded in March, when its biomass attained
1.6gm- 3 (Fig. 3.8). We have observed the same there at the end of March
1983. Masses of wind-driven Trichodesmium were recorded accumulating
up the reefs of the Kavaratti atoll (Quasim 1970).
More recent studies of phytoplankton in reef areas of the Indian Ocean
and of the South China Sea were made with the use of more modern and
.-----------------------------------~?p
flt,8g
1flfl
J
2
Jfl
7
OL..----L--....I...._----I-===-_ _ L....-----I
I-II
m-IY Y-IY J!U-Ylll II-I XI-.xu
Fig. 3.8. Seasonal changes in phytoplankton in waters over reefs in the D. Ambaro bay,
Nosy Be I., Madagascar; B, and Bg total biomass of phytoplankton and biomass of
blue-green algae, gm- 3 of wet weight; P p , primary production, mgCm- 3 day-l.
(Modified from Angot 1968)