Longitudinal Plankton Dynamics in the Rivers Rhine and Elbe

• DOI: 10.1002/rra.2977
• Publication Date: 2015-10-26T17:52:22Z
• Authors: P. Hardenbicker; M. Weitere; S. Ritz; F. Schöll; H. Fischer
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; 13. Climate action; 14. Life underwater; 01 natural sciences; 6. Clean water; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

We compared the longitudinal plankton development in two large rivers Rhine and Elbe by means of four Lagrangian sampling campaigns performed within time span 2009–2011. The revealed low chlorophyll concentrations along a long river stretch (Rhine-km 170 to 854) with maximum values below 5 µg L−1 2010. In contrast, (Elbe-km 4 582) showed high longitudinally increasing maximal 174 2009 123 2011. Additional samples benthic bivalves stretches densities filter feeders that could potentially explain losses production. Their were significantly lower, making important unlikely. However, strong phytoplankton growth was observed during campaign 2011 coinciding discharge event. This resulted an exceptionally value up 244 lower sections, not reached last decades continuous water quality monitoring Rhine. Even though we cannot fully this phenomenon, it shows has potential but is usually controlled other mechanisms. Tributaries represented additional source biomass suspended substances Rhine, whereas they primarily diluted Elbe. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.