Microplankton growth in response to nutrient enrichments in Gerence Bay, Izmir, Western Turkey

Abstract

<span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt;mso-ansi-language:TR" lang="TR">Present study is to assess the comparative effects of nutrient enrichment within Gerence Bay such a semi-enclosed bay in the Aegean Sea. Water samples were taken in spring seasons (April 2006-2007) and autumn seasons (October 2005-2006) and enriched with nutrients of various concentrations. By applying T test to determine statistical differences between the averages of growth rate. While no difference at the 0.05 level of relevance was observed between the October periods, it was seen that the growth rates of NH₄⁺ NO₃^- and PO₄^-3 for the April periods were different (tc=6.62, 9.69, 5.2; df= 19, 18,17 respectively). A season-based study of the growth rates across time, these were higher than 3 (1/day) in October and lower than 2 in the month of April. Experiments show that the environment may exhibit eutrophic sea conditions in the case of certain nutrients, but characteristics of an oligotrophic environment in the case of others. Consequently, it would be more apt to say that Gerence Bay exhibits intermediate character attributes known to define what is called a mesotrophic environment.

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