Distribution And Characteristics Of A Photosynthetic Benthic Microbial Community In A Marine Coastal Pond

Distribution and basic characteristics of the photosynthetic benthic community within He'eia Fishpond was determined using chlorophyll-a, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), and Scanning Election Microscopy (SEM). Chlorophyll-a gradients differed across the pond with differing sediment facies. Little to no chlorophyll-a was present in the surface sediments at sampling sites located nearest to salt water inputs. High to moderate concentrations of chlorophyll-a were present at sites nearest to fresh water inputs. HPLC photopigment results indicate that high concentrations of the photopigments, chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll clcz, and fucoxanthin were present at both sites A and B above 0.25-cm, while site A also contained high concentrations of beta-carotene and chlorophyllide-a above 0.25-cm. Photopigment analysis only allowed for organism classification at the phylum level. The possibility that several different phyla could use the same photopigments for photosynthesis made it difficult to distinguish between specific phyla at different depths. The finest classification that could be achieved was that of sub-phyla Bacillariophyceae, which was identified at both sites using both HPLC and SEM analysis. Grant/cooperative agreemet nos. R/EL-42 NAOSOAR4171048