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Environments
Volume 12
Issue 1
10.3390/environments12010023
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Article

Seasonal Dynamics and Environmental Drivers of Phytoplankton in the Albufera Coastal Lagoon (Valencia, Spain)

by
Juan Víctor Molner
,
Isabel Mellinas-Coperias
,
Clara Canós-López
,
Rebeca Pérez-González
,
María D. Sendra
and
Juan M. Soria
*
Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (ICBiBE), University of Valencia, 46980 Valencia, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Environments 2025, 12(1), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12010023
Submission received: 10 December 2024 / Revised: 8 January 2025 / Accepted: 9 January 2025 / Published: 13 January 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multiple Approaches for Environmental Assessment of Transitional and Coastal Waters II)
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Abstract

The Albufera of Valencia is a hypereutrophic, oligohaline lagoon that has experienced significant changes in phytoplankton composition and state in recent decades due to human activities. These activities affect phytoplankton biomass and community structure, which are key indicators of ecosystem health. In this study, phytoplankton samples from the lagoon were analyzed to identify dominant groups and genera, and their seasonal cycles were determined using biovolume measurements with the Utermöhl method. Various environmental variables were also measured. Diversity was assessed using richness, equitability, and the Shannon–Wiener index. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) and Pearson correlation revealed that temperature and phosphorus significantly influence phytoplankton abundance. A species that exhibited seasonal abundance, resulting in a change in the lagoon’s color from green to brown, was identified. Water quality was assessed using the trophic state index, indicating that the lagoon is in poor condition and hyper-eutrophic. Cyanobacteria were the most dominant group, peaking in November, contrary to previous studies, followed by Chlorophyceae and Bacillariophyceae. Phytoplankton are vital bioindicators for assessing ecosystem health, underscoring the need for further research in this area.
Keywords: microalgae; cyanobacteria; Chlorophyceae; eutrophication; water quality microalgae; cyanobacteria; Chlorophyceae; eutrophication; water quality

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MDPI and ACS Style

Molner, J.V.; Mellinas-Coperias, I.; Canós-López, C.; Pérez-González, R.; Sendra, M.D.; Soria, J.M. Seasonal Dynamics and Environmental Drivers of Phytoplankton in the Albufera Coastal Lagoon (Valencia, Spain). Environments 2025, 12, 23. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12010023

AMA Style

Molner JV, Mellinas-Coperias I, Canós-López C, Pérez-González R, Sendra MD, Soria JM. Seasonal Dynamics and Environmental Drivers of Phytoplankton in the Albufera Coastal Lagoon (Valencia, Spain). Environments. 2025; 12(1):23. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12010023

Chicago/Turabian Style

Molner, Juan Víctor, Isabel Mellinas-Coperias, Clara Canós-López, Rebeca Pérez-González, María D. Sendra, and Juan M. Soria. 2025. "Seasonal Dynamics and Environmental Drivers of Phytoplankton in the Albufera Coastal Lagoon (Valencia, Spain)" Environments 12, no. 1: 23. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12010023

APA Style

Molner, J. V., Mellinas-Coperias, I., Canós-López, C., Pérez-González, R., Sendra, M. D., & Soria, J. M. (2025). Seasonal Dynamics and Environmental Drivers of Phytoplankton in the Albufera Coastal Lagoon (Valencia, Spain). Environments, 12(1), 23. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12010023

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