Fatty Acids to Quantify Phytoplankton Functional Groups and Their Spatiotemporal Dynamics in a Highly Turbid Estuary

摘要: Phytoplankton community composition expresses estuarine functionality and its assessment can be improved by implementing novel quantitative fatty acid–based procedures. Fatty acids have similar potential to pigments for quantifying phytoplankton functional groups but been far less applied. A recently created dataset containing vast information on of taxonomic was used as reference quantify in the yet undescribed Guadalquivir River Estuary. Twelve were quantitatively distinguished iterative matrix factor analysis seston acid signatures this turbid estuary. Those including species unfeasible visual identification (coccoid or microflagellated cells) could quantified when using acids. Conducting monthly analyses over a period 2 years full salinity range estuary indicated that diatoms dominated about half spatiotemporally. The abundance Cyanobacteria Chlorophytes inversely related little affected seasonality. Euglenophytes also more abundant at lower salinity, increasing their presence autumn–winter. Coccolithophores Dinophytes contributed higher remained Multivariate canonical structure most influenced salinity; secondly water temperature, irradiance, river flow; unaffected nutrients. are especially suited research high estuaries generate outcomes synergy with those derived from classical pigment assessments.