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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 75(15)

Contributions of nano- and picophytoplankton to the phytoplankton biomass in Saudi Arabian waters of the Arabian Gulf

Moritz J. Heinle https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0945-9283 A * , Ace V. Flandez A , Todd R. Clardy B , Hattan Balkhi C and Mohammad A. Qurban D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Applied Research Center for Environment and Marine Studies, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia.

B Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA.

C Environmental Protection Department, Saudi Aramco, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia.

D National Center for Wildlife, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Riyadh 1195, Saudi Arabia.

* Correspondence to: himmelsgucker1981@gmail.com

Handling Editor: Daniel Roelke

Marine and Freshwater Research 75, MF24027 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF24027
Submitted: 7 February 2024  Accepted: 4 September 2024  Published: 3 October 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

The two smallest size classes of phytoplankton, namely, nano- and picophytoplankton, can play an important role in marine primary production, particularly in warm and nutrient-poor waters. The Arabian Gulf, with its high temperatures, could provide good growth conditions for these two size classes; however, so far, phytoplankton research in the Arabian Gulf has largely focussed on the biggest size class, microphytoplankton. This study presents data on the annual cycle of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) at three stations in Saudi Arabian waters of the Arabian Gulf, focussing on the contribution of the three phytoplankton size classes to total Chl-a, and identifies environmental parameters affecting these contributions. Whereas dominance of nanophytoplankton was observed during summer, highest contributions of picophytoplankton were found during winter and spring. A close link between nano- and microphytoplankton was noted on the basis of optimum correlation models. The models for both size fractions included photosynthetically active radiation, salinity and phosphate concentration, but with opposing algebraic signs in the two models. By contrast, picophytoplankton was negatively correlated with temperature, indicating that the contribution of this size class could decrease under a future climate-change scenario in the Arabian Gulf.

Keywords: Arabian Gulf, biomass, chlorophyll-a, coastal waters, nanophytoplankton, picophytoplankton, Saudi Arabia, seasonality.

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