Diatom abundance and community structure in Barkley Sound, Vancouver Island, BC: significant impacts on primary productivity

Abstract

This research measured diatoms and phytoplankton in Barkley Sound to understand more about the process of exporting carbon from the atmosphere to the deep ocean. The study had three objectives: 1) to measure the autotrophic phytoplankton biomass and estimate diatom abundance in the phytoplankton community; 2) to observe how phytoplankton biomass and diatom size change as a function of diatom abundance and location; amd 3) to measure primary production and relate changes in production to diatom size, diatom abundance and sampling location.