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Inshore Plankton Distributions

Phytoplankton

Porky Pig (PP) and Flying Pig (PP)

A variability of phytoplankton was found in every station throughout the upper Tamar estuary. Station PPA0 at Calstock pier showed the lowest variability and out of the two recorded species Chaetoceros spp. was the most abundant (Figure.1). Further down the estuary station PPB2 (N50ᵒ 24.533’ , W004ᵒ 12.266’) presented a much greater diversity of phytoplankton species, however, the majority still being Chaetoceros spp. (Figure.2). The final station sampled in the upper estuary FPC4 (N50ᵒ 23.976’ , W004ᵒ 12.478’) presented less diversity but a greater amount of Pseudo-nitzchia spp. than the previously mentioned stations (Figure.3).

Going down the upper estuary towards the sea there is a vast fluctuation in phytoplankton species abundance (cell/ml). Stations FPA2 showed the least and PP B2, which was taken near the Tamar bridge off of Saltash, showed the most abundance compared to all the other stations by one order of magnitude (Figure.4).

Falcon Spirit

Falcon Spirit sampled down the lower Tamar estuary starting at Station C(-1) (N50ᵒ 25.231 , W004ᵒ 12.206’)  near the Tavy confluence, which had the lowest biodiversity of phytoplankton, with Leptoclyndrus spp.  and Pseudo-nitzchia spp. being the most abundant (Figure.5). Station E at looking glass point (N50ᵒ 23.399’ , W004ᵒ 11. 946’) was mainly dominated by Lauderia spp. and showed a high species diveristy but low species richness (Figure.6). Station J at the Eastern Channel was the last station with coordinates, N50ᵒ 20.050’ , W004ᵒ 08.013’. It showed a higher biodiversity than the first station, mainly dominated by Lauderia spp. and Pseudo-nitzchia spp. (Figure.7).

Station C at the beginning of the lower Tamar estuary showed the highest total phytoplankton abundance, while the last station (J) at the end of the lower estuary presented the lowest phytoplankton count (Figure.8).

Zooplankton

Porky Pig (PP)

Three 1L bottles were collected at three stations along the upper Tamar estuary by the Porky Pig RIB. At station PPA0 and PPA8 only Copepoda spp. were observed, while the final station (PP B2) near the Tamar bridge off of Saltash showed the highest diversity, having also observed Cirripedia spp. larvae and Polychaeta spp. Larvae (Figure.9).

Falcon Spirit

Three 1L bottles were collected at stations G, H and I along the lower Tamar estuary. At all three stations Copepoda spp. has the highest abundance, with station H having the highest abundance over all (Figure.9). Station H was also observed to have the highest species diversity. Decapoda spp., Chaetoagnatha spp., Hydromedusae spp., Appendicularia spp.,  and Polychaeta spp. larvae were only found at station H. While Echinoderm spp. larvae was only observed at station I (Figure. 9).