Temporal variability of primary productivity, chlorophyll and seston in Bahia de Los Angeles, Gulf of California

Abstract

With the aim of studying the short variability of seston, chlorophyll a and primary productivity of phytoplankton, water samples were taken in Bahía de los Ángeles during nine days of February and March, 1987. Chlorophyll a had higher values during spring tides, with variations between 0.25 to 9.70 mg·m–3. Total seston was mainly formedby organic matter, almost without an inorganic contribution, except when the speed of the wind was >8 m·s–1. Primary productivity increased from spring tides to transitional and neap tides, with 115, 243 and 337 mg·Cm–2·h–1, respectively. A linear relationship was found between primary productivity (P) and chlorophyll a concentration (Cla): P = 4.76*Cla-0.91. Horizontal advection and vertical mixing both originated from the wind effect and appear to be the main processes that determine variability of phytoplankton biomass and primary productivity in the bay