Phytoplankton Assemblage in a Tropical Harbour: Microscopy versus Chemotaxonomy
Abstract
Investigations into phytoplankton community structures in Nigerian waters have always been carried out using conventional microscopy. Microscopic methods are not sufficient because very small-sized phytoplankton species are easily missed out from sample processing and examinations. At present, there is a dearth of literature on pigment-derived phytoplankton assemblage in Nigerian waters. Phytoplankton diversity was investigated for twelve months from May 2015 to April 2016 using both microscopic and chemotaxonomic methods. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images of phytoplankton species were taken with a JEOL JSM 5310 using between 12 and 15 kV accelerating voltage. Chemotaxonomic assessment of phytoplankton was done using a C8 reverse-phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) pigment-labeling technique. A total of 96 phytoplankton species belonging to five classes were recorded from microscopic observations. Bacillariophyceae (diatoms) comprised 72 species, Chlorophyceae (green algae) had 2 species, Cyanophyceae (blue-green algae) was represented by 11 species, Dictyochophyceae (silicoflagellates) had 1 species and Dinophyceae (dinoflagellates) comprised 10 species. The results from the HPLC pigment-labeling technique validated microscopic observations for diatoms, dinoflagellates, blue-green and green algae. However, there were pigment-detections of coccolithophores and cryptophytes by HPLC which were not seen under the microscopes. From this study, Achnanthes eureka, Hyalosynedra laevigata, Mastogloia cuneata, Mastogloia emarginata, Navicula formenterae, and Palmerina hardmaniana are new records of diatoms in Nigerian waters. This study documented a pioneering effort at chemotaxonomic assessment in Nigeria, leading to the identification and quantification of nineteen phytopigments.
Copyright (c) 2024 Owoyemi W. Elegbeleye
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