Synoptic observations of small-scale (<1 km) variability in phytoplankton community composition based on in situ sampling are rare. Thanks to a citizen science program called "Objectif Plancton," such sampling of phytoplankton communities has been performed in a macrotidal environment (the Bay of Brest, Brittany, France) since 2014. Using a predefined protocol and a simplified plankton sampling kit, 17 volunteer boaters sample simultaneously at distinct geolocated sites thrice a year. Collected samples are returned to the laboratory for subsequent analysis of phytoplankton community composition and other environmental variables. Recent results from sampling performed in April 2021 and 2022 are presented and compared, including measurements of abiotic parameters and light microscopy counts. Phytoplankton community compositions differ between 2021 and 2022, with the 2021 one consisting of a monospecific bloom of the diatom Cerataulina pelagica and the 2022 one being more diverse and evenly distributed. Despite strong tidal currents in the Bay of Brest, the data reveal a non-uniform spatial structuring of phytoplankton communities at small scales, with distinct clusters dominated by different phytoplankton communities. These clusters’ cores are close to river estuaries, suggesting that these tributaries significantly impact the spatial distributions of phytoplankton.
Schweibold et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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