Biological effects of atmospheric deposition on algal assemblages. Draft final report.

Abstract

The primary objective of this project was to determine the effects of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on the population dynamics of two distinct algal assemblages in Sarasota Bay, Florida: a nearshore, nutrient enriched community, and an offshore, nutrient poor community during both the dry (winter) and wet (summer) seasons. Short-term bioassays were designed to measure phytoplankton responses to additions of atmospherically-derived nitrogen as well as reagent-grade nitrate nitrogen. The overall project plan integrated the following elements: direct collection and measurement of atmospheric inorganic nitrogen deposition from individual storm events, in situ bioassay experiments using resident phytoplankton from a nutrient enriched estuarine community and a nutrient poor offshore community and measurement of algal growth rate and changes in algal species composition over a 3 day period as a response to nitrogen enrichment.