Factors controlling phyto- and bacterioplankton in late spring on a salinity gradient in the northern Baltic

Abstract

Phytoplankton productivity and biomass were P-limited in a fjord-like inlet with low salinity, whereas in the open sea, significant responses were obtained only with the addition of both N and P. The dominant algal species accounted for the major part of the community response to nutrient enrichment. In late spring, a substantial increase in bacterial productivity took place only with addition of both sucrose and the nutrients that limited algal growth. No clear responses were observed in the bacterial biomass, which indicates strong control by grazers or viruses. -from Authors