What regulates the onset, persistence and fate of planktonic algal blooms in Florida Bay?
Phytoplankton blooms are of intense public, management and scientific concern in Florida Bay. Concerns include associated declines in water quality (decreased water clarity, hypoxia, anoxia, toxicity), altered biogeochemical cycling, and trophic changes. Major phytoplankton groups responsible for these blooms include diatoms (in the Western Bay) and cyanobacteria (North-Central Bay basins). Bioassay and stoichiometric analyses indicate that growth of bloom organisms is at least partially controlled by nutrient availability; with phosphorus limitation predominating in the Eastern regions and N being the most important limiting nutrient in the Western part of the Bay. Field and laboratory results indicate that the north central region of the Bay at times may exhibit N and P co-limitation. Monitoring and remote sensing studies indicate that geographic partitioning between cyanobacteria-dominated and diatom-dominated blooms has existed in the Bay since the late 1980s. Remote sensing of the
