Authors: S Jaschinski S Flöder T Petenati J Göbel
Publish Date: 2014/11/19
Volume: 745, Issue: 1, Pages: 201-210
Abstract
The European water framework directive and the marine strategy framework directive have the objective to establish at least ‘good’ ecological status in all European waters by 2015 Therefore a classification system has to be established in each European country in order to assess their water bodies For the German coastal waters of the Baltic Sea a classification system for phytoplankton based on the abundance of Cyanophyceae and Chlorophyceae was already presented This system has been successfully adapted in regions with low salinity levels 10 PSU With this study we present the results trying to develop a classification system for our German region of the Baltic Sea characterized by higher salinity 15 PSU All present taxonomic groups most common species and functional groups were tested It could be shown that all tested correlations to nitrogen concentration as eutrophication descriptor are relatively week Nevertheless the biovolume of Cryptophyceae was found to be the most reliable phytoplankton composition indicator which could serve as future assessment criterion Furthermore as proposed by some experts the use of maximal dissolved winter nitrogen concentration as eutrophication descriptor might be an advantage over using the total nitrogen concentrations in summer
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