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Diversity
Volume 18
Issue 7
10.3390/d18070417
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Capturing Phytoplankton Diversity in the Central Adriatic Sea: Complementary Insights from DNA Metabarcoding and Morphological Identification

by
S. Skejić
,
B. Milić Roje
*,
J. Arapov
,
Ž. Ninčević Gladan
,
M. Straka
,
A. Bakrač
,
T. Bonačić
,
D. Rabadan
,
T. Tomašević
,
M. Bužančić
and
O. Vidjak
Institute for Oceanography and Fisheries, Split-Dalmatia County, 21000 Split, Croatia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Diversity 2026, 18(7), 417; https://doi.org/10.3390/d18070417
Submission received: 15 June 2026 / Revised: 3 July 2026 / Accepted: 4 July 2026 / Published: 10 July 2026
(This article belongs to the Section Marine Diversity)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Monitoring phytoplankton diversity is essential for the conservation of marine ecosystems and the protection of human health. This study compares light microscopy (LM) and DNA metabarcoding (MB) for analysing phytoplankton community at a long-term station in the Central Adriatic Sea, representing the first application of metabarcoding in this region. Sampling was conducted in June 2024 using Niskin bottles and a 53 µm plankton net. Four genetic markers (COI, 18S V4, 18S V9, rbcL) were applied to bulk plankton DNA to broaden taxonomic coverage and assess their detection performance relative to LM. Among the molecular markers, rbcL detected the highest taxonomic richness and was particularly effective for diatom species detection. In contrast, 18S V4 and 18S V9 captured a broader spectrum of phytoplankton diversity, especially outperforming LM and the other two molecular markers in detecting a previously unrecognized but ecologically important phytoflagellate group. Species-level resolution within the taxonomically challenging genera Chaetoceros and Pseudo-nitzschia was considerably improved with metabarcoding. However, several taxa observed by LM, including certain coccolithophores and thecate dinoflagellates, were not detected by any of the molecular markers. Overall, the results show that methodological choices strongly influence biodiversity estimates and highlight the value of a complementary integrative approach in assessing phytoplankton diversity.
Keywords: phytoplankton community composition; environmental DNA; microscopy; Mediterranean Sea; rbcL; 18S; COI; amplicon sequencing phytoplankton community composition; environmental DNA; microscopy; Mediterranean Sea; rbcL; 18S; COI; amplicon sequencing

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MDPI and ACS Style

Skejić, S.; Milić Roje, B.; Arapov, J.; Ninčević Gladan, Ž.; Straka, M.; Bakrač, A.; Bonačić, T.; Rabadan, D.; Tomašević, T.; Bužančić, M.; et al. Capturing Phytoplankton Diversity in the Central Adriatic Sea: Complementary Insights from DNA Metabarcoding and Morphological Identification. Diversity 2026, 18, 417. https://doi.org/10.3390/d18070417

AMA Style

Skejić S, Milić Roje B, Arapov J, Ninčević Gladan Ž, Straka M, Bakrač A, Bonačić T, Rabadan D, Tomašević T, Bužančić M, et al. Capturing Phytoplankton Diversity in the Central Adriatic Sea: Complementary Insights from DNA Metabarcoding and Morphological Identification. Diversity. 2026; 18(7):417. https://doi.org/10.3390/d18070417

Chicago/Turabian Style

Skejić, S., B. Milić Roje, J. Arapov, Ž. Ninčević Gladan, M. Straka, A. Bakrač, T. Bonačić, D. Rabadan, T. Tomašević, M. Bužančić, and et al. 2026. "Capturing Phytoplankton Diversity in the Central Adriatic Sea: Complementary Insights from DNA Metabarcoding and Morphological Identification" Diversity 18, no. 7: 417. https://doi.org/10.3390/d18070417

APA Style

Skejić, S., Milić Roje, B., Arapov, J., Ninčević Gladan, Ž., Straka, M., Bakrač, A., Bonačić, T., Rabadan, D., Tomašević, T., Bužančić, M., & Vidjak, O. (2026). Capturing Phytoplankton Diversity in the Central Adriatic Sea: Complementary Insights from DNA Metabarcoding and Morphological Identification. Diversity, 18(7), 417. https://doi.org/10.3390/d18070417

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