Estructura de la comunidad fitoplanctónica en Laguna Ojo de Liebre (B. C. S., México) en febrero de 2018.

The purpose of this study was to determine phytoplankton community structure in February 2018 at Laguna Ojo de Liebre, a relevant site for biodiversity at El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve. The parameters: diversity and abundance indices of the main phytoplankton groups were used to relate them to the oceanographic variables temperature and salinity. Phytoplankton was quantified in three size groups: microphytoplankton (diatoms, dinoflagellates), nanophytoplankton (Chromophytes, Cryptophytes), and picophytoplankton (Cyanobacteria, Prochlorophytes) using optical microscopy and chemotaxonomy (HPLC) analyses. This last method indicated fucoxanthin (pigment characteristic of diatoms) was the most abundant and predominant photosynthetic carotenoid in the whole lagoon. Temperature showed an inverse relationship with microphytoplankton and a direct relationship with nanophytoplankton and picophytoplankton; saline gradient showed a direct association with the distribution of total chlorophyll. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]