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Naked Dictyocha speculum — a new type of phytoplankton bloom in the Western Baltic

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Abstract

We report on the bloom incidence of a curious new type of phytoplankton organism: the naked form of the silicoflagellate Dictyocha speculum. This special form does not develop the siliceous skeletons which normally characterize the genus Dictyocha, its growth is apparently independent of the availability of dissolved silicate. The first massive bloom of this organism was observed in the Kiel Bight area, FRG, in May 1983. Since then, late-spring blooms of this flagellate have become a common phenomenon in the Western Baltic. We suggest that the occurrence of this new type of bloom is related to changes in nutrient conditions due to increased eutrophication.

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Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe

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Jochem, F., Babenerd, B. Naked Dictyocha speculum — a new type of phytoplankton bloom in the Western Baltic. Mar. Biol. 103, 373–379 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00397272

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