The microphytobenthic primary production and chlorophyll a content were studied over the annual cycle (May 1998 – May 1999) on a non-tidal Baltic sandy beach at three stations along the beach gradient: littoral, waterline and splash zone. The chlorophyll a concentrations varied between 0.88 and 12.18 μg cm−3. Net and gross primary production rates respectively lay within the ranges 0.1–31.4 mgC m−2 h−1 and 0.2–41.8 mgC m−2 h−1. The highest values of both Chl a content and primary production were noted at the littoral station, the lowest ones at the waterline. The mean annual P/B ratio was highest at the waterline. The differences in Chl a content between stations were statistically significant and may be related to water dynamics, resuspension and water content. Production rates were highly variable on monthly time scales, and the highest results at all the study locations were noted in July. The gross photosynthetic rates were significantly correlated with water temperature.
An autochthonous community of benthic diatoms was discovered in June 2015 in the upper sediment layer at depths of 170, 205, and 245 m in the central Barents Sea. At least three benthic microalgae species (Gyrosigma fasciola, Pleurosigma angulatum, and Pleurosigma sp. 1) were detected in the sediment but not the upper water column. Analyses revealed that these benthic microalgae represent a depleted fragment of Arctic littoral microphytobenthos. Compared with the littoral flora, the deep-water assemblage is less diverse and displays low abundance. The data reported here challenge the generally accepted belief that the presence of certain microalgae at significant depths results from vertical or horizontal transfer.