Diatom and dinoflagellate abundance and ecology in waters off the Hawaiian Coast

Abstract

Diatoms and dinoflagellates are two groups of phytoplankton important in carbon sequestration, which affects climate change, and harmful algal blooms (HABs). Understanding their community ecology is important to our ability to make predictions about these issues. This study uses phytoplankton abundance and biomass at seven locations around the Hawaiian Islands to determine if diatoms and dinoflagellates correlate with nutrient abundances. The results suggest that there is little relation between [PO4], [NO3], [NO2], [NH4] and [Si(OH)4] and phytoplankton biomass.