Planktonic response to pulse or continuous inorganic nutrient inputs: temporal variations and monitoring implications

This paper presents work on the effects of different nutrient regimes on the plankton community through a microcosm experiment. The hypothesis is that plankton communities in Mediterranean coastal lagoons are resilient to sporadic high concentration nutrient loadings after sea storms, after which a diminution of resources occurs due to lagoon confinement. However, recently discovered groundwater influence on the hydrology of these lagoons increases the possibility of low concentration, continuous nutrient loadings. Therefore, plankton communities would be more sensitive to these continuous nutrient inputs, usually of anthropogenic origin, and would maintain a level of high productivity and high resource availability over time, thereby increasing the risk of eutrophication. This work encompasses plankton community dynamics that are influenced by different nutrient loadings and raises awareness of the possible influence of varying rates of nutrients entering the water column of lagoons from groundwater and superficial sources; and what effects it could have to the overall ecology of coastal lagoons. This paper also explores the possible implications of undetectable nutrient levels in the water column that is potentially decoupled from altered ecological functioning of functional groups in aquatic ecosystems