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The contribution by phytoplankton, bacteria and detritus to a rocky shore ecosystem
An investigation has been carried out on the particulate organic matter (IU-1) in suspension over the large inter-- and subtidal reef at Dalebrook in False Bay, standing stocks of hytoplankton, bacteria and detritus were monitored for 13 months, at three localities on the reef, on incoming and outgo...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Biological Sciences
2023
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| _version_ | 1867613256442445824 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Cliff, Geremy |
| author2 | Branch, George |
| author_browse | Branch, George Cliff, Geremy |
| author_facet | Branch, George Cliff, Geremy |
| author_sort | Cliff, Geremy |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | An investigation has been carried out on the particulate organic matter (IU-1) in suspension over the large inter-- and subtidal reef at Dalebrook in False Bay, standing stocks of hytoplankton, bacteria and detritus were monitored for 13 months, at three localities on the reef, on incoming and outgoing tides. A number of seasonal trends recharge, despite day-to-day variation in t."'1ese stocks. In spring and summer chlorophyll levels were la, 1 - 2 µg/1. Due to the extrerrely lcw nitrate concentrations ( < 2 µg at/1) and to a lesser extent, silicates ( < 6 µg at/1) , little autochthonous phytoplankton production was recorded over this period. Concentrations of nitrates, silicates and chlorcphyll a were highest at the offshore edge of the reef in incoming water. After a strong south-easterly win:i, chlorophyll concentrations of 19 µg/1 were rerorded O, 5 km offshore. Chlorophy 11 concentrations were in the region of 5 µg/1 in winter. Detritus accounted for aln'Ost 80% of the Pa1 and never dropped bela, O, 5 :rrg/1. There were no marked spatial and tidal influences on the mass of detritus in suspension. However, considerable import and export of material is believed to be associated with the strong water m,vements over the reef. Most of the detritus was in advanced stages of deconposition, making it extremely difficult to determine its origin. A Coulter Counter provided particle size spectra over the range 5 - 112 µm. It was found that particles with apparent diameters of 10 - 30 iirn contributed the highest volurre. Bacterial densities ranged fran 4 x 105 to 16 x 105 cells/ml; nurrbers were highest in late surmer and autumn. 95% of the cells were not attached to particles but were free in suspension. These results are canpared with those fran other inshore envirorurents. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/39000 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:33:15.376Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Department of Biological Sciences |
| publisherStr | Department of Biological Sciences |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/39000 The contribution by phytoplankton, bacteria and detritus to a rocky shore ecosystem Cliff, Geremy Branch, George Zoology An investigation has been carried out on the particulate organic matter (IU-1) in suspension over the large inter-- and subtidal reef at Dalebrook in False Bay, standing stocks of hytoplankton, bacteria and detritus were monitored for 13 months, at three localities on the reef, on incoming and outgoing tides. A number of seasonal trends recharge, despite day-to-day variation in t."'1ese stocks. In spring and summer chlorophyll levels were la, 1 - 2 µg/1. Due to the extrerrely lcw nitrate concentrations ( < 2 µg at/1) and to a lesser extent, silicates ( < 6 µg at/1) , little autochthonous phytoplankton production was recorded over this period. Concentrations of nitrates, silicates and chlorcphyll a were highest at the offshore edge of the reef in incoming water. After a strong south-easterly win:i, chlorophyll concentrations of 19 µg/1 were rerorded O, 5 km offshore. Chlorophy 11 concentrations were in the region of 5 µg/1 in winter. Detritus accounted for aln'Ost 80% of the Pa1 and never dropped bela, O, 5 :rrg/1. There were no marked spatial and tidal influences on the mass of detritus in suspension. However, considerable import and export of material is believed to be associated with the strong water m,vements over the reef. Most of the detritus was in advanced stages of deconposition, making it extremely difficult to determine its origin. A Coulter Counter provided particle size spectra over the range 5 - 112 µm. It was found that particles with apparent diameters of 10 - 30 iirn contributed the highest volurre. Bacterial densities ranged fran 4 x 105 to 16 x 105 cells/ml; nurrbers were highest in late surmer and autumn. 95% of the cells were not attached to particles but were free in suspension. These results are canpared with those fran other inshore envirorurents. 2023-10-02T09:39:49Z 2023-10-02T09:39:49Z 1979 2023-10-02T09:08:59Z Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/39000 eng application/pdf Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science |
| spellingShingle | Zoology Cliff, Geremy The contribution by phytoplankton, bacteria and detritus to a rocky shore ecosystem |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | The contribution by phytoplankton, bacteria and detritus to a rocky shore ecosystem |
| title_full | The contribution by phytoplankton, bacteria and detritus to a rocky shore ecosystem |
| title_fullStr | The contribution by phytoplankton, bacteria and detritus to a rocky shore ecosystem |
| title_full_unstemmed | The contribution by phytoplankton, bacteria and detritus to a rocky shore ecosystem |
| title_short | The contribution by phytoplankton, bacteria and detritus to a rocky shore ecosystem |
| title_sort | contribution by phytoplankton bacteria and detritus to a rocky shore ecosystem |
| topic | Zoology |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/39000 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT cliffgeremy thecontributionbyphytoplanktonbacteriaanddetritustoarockyshoreecosystem AT cliffgeremy contributionbyphytoplanktonbacteriaanddetritustoarockyshoreecosystem |