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