Influence of Sample Sizes on Analyzing Community Parameters of Periphytic Diatoms for Bioassessment Using an Artificial Substrate in Coastal Waters

Abstract

Influence of sample sizes on analyzing community parameters of periphytic diatoms was studied in coastai waters of the Yellow Sea from May 2010 to June 2010. Sampies were coiiected from two depths of 1 m and 3 m using an artificial substrate. Based on a 95% probability, 15, 8, and 5 replicate slides (~260, 140, and ~90 cm^) were sufficient for recovering the diatom communities with specified cumulative contributions of 99%, 95%, and 90% at two depths, respectively. To achieve less than 10% standard errors (coefficients of variation), six (105 cm^) replicate slides were required for biodiversity analysis of the microperiphyton communities with various colonization times at two depths. More replicate sides were required for the young diatom communities (less than 14 days) than the mature samples (greater than 14 days). These results suggest that six replicate slides at two depths may be sufficient to analyze community parameters of periphytic diatoms in costal waters. Water Environ. Res., 85, 2228Res., 85, (2013.

Seasonal shift in community pattern of planktonic diatoms and environmental drivers in Jiaozhou Bay, northern China

“…Jiaozhou Bay is a large eutrophic basin, covering an area of about 390 km 2 with an average depth of about 7 m. It is connected to the Yellow Sea via a narrow mouth about 2.5 km in width, surrounded by Qingdao, northern China (Shen, 2001; Liu et al , 2004; Xu et al , 2011). So far, Jiaozhou Bay has been stressed by human activities and is thus subject to eutrophication events (Jiang et al , 2011, 2013, 2014). Although several studies have been conducted on community research of plankton in Jiaozhou Bay (Nuccio et al , 2003; Liu et al , 2005, 2008, 2014), the annual cycle of planktonic diatoms has yet to be investigated.…”