Figure 4 17 Results of circumpolar assessment of lake phytoplankton,(a) the location of phytoplankton stations, underlain by circumpolar ecoregions; (b) ecoregions with many phytoplankton stations, colored on the basis of alpha diversity rarefied to 35 stations; (c) all ecoregions with phytoplankton stations, colored on the basis of alpha diversity rarefied to 10 stations; (d) ecoregions with at least two stations in a hydrobasin, colored on the basis of the dominant component of beta diversity (species turnover, nestedness, approximately equal contribution, or no diversity) when averaged across hydrobasins in each ecoregion. State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity Report - Chapter 4 - Page 56 - Figure 4-17

Figure 3.2.1a: Map of high throughput sequencing records from the Arctic Marine Areas. Figure 3.2.1b: Map of records of phytoplankton taxa using microscopy from the Arctic Marine Areas. STATE OF THE ARCTIC MARINE BIODIVERSITY REPORT - <a href="https://arcticbiodiversity.is/findings/plankton" target="_blank">Chapter 3</a> - Page 35 - Figure 3.2.1a and Figure 3.2.1b In terms of stations sampled, the greatest sampling effort of high-throughput sequencing in Arctic marine water columns, by far, has been in the Beaufort Sea/Amundsen Gulf region and around Svalbard. High through-put sequencing has also been used on samples from the Chukchi Sea, Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Baffin Bay, Hudson Bay, the Greenland Sea and Laptev Sea.

Phytoplankton pigments, determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) have been measured on DFO La Perouse cruises since 2011. Surface samples are taken along a series of transects off the west coast of Vancouver Island twice a year usually in May/June and early September.

Changes in phytoplankton abundance and community composition have the potential to impact the entire food web and alter ecosystem productivity and biogeochemical cycles. Recognizing its importance, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) established a phytoplankton monitoring program on the Pacific coast of Canada based on phytoplankton pigment measurements. Phytoplankton pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids) and ancillary data are collected annually on DFO cruises at multiple locations in waters of the northeast subarctic Pacific and the west coast of Canada. Water samples are collected at discrete depths in the upper layer and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Phytoplankton pigments, determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are measured on DFO cruises three times a year in February, June, and August/September along Line P in the northeast subarctic Pacific. Sampling for phytoplankton pigments started in 2006 at the five main Line P stations and was expanded to sample at all twenty seven stations along the transect in June 2010.

Phytoplankton pigments, determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are measured seasonally along a 20-station transect in the Juan de Fuca / Strait of Georgia Basin. Sampling was initiated in 2004, discontinued in 2012 and restarted in 2015. In addition, occasional sampling is carried out at several locations and times in inland waters. For data inquiries please contact: Angelica Pena for data from 2004 to 2015 and Nina Nemcek for data from 2015 to present.

Interannual differences in taxonomic composition of phytoplankton during summer in a) Kongsfjorden and b) Rijpfjorden (Source: MOSJ, Norwegian Polar Institute). STATE OF THE ARCTIC MARINE BIODIVERSITY REPORT - <a href="https://arcticbiodiversity.is/findings/plankton" target="_blank">Chapter 3</a> - Page 74 - Figure 3.2.5

Bivalve aquaculture has direct and indirect effects on plankton communities, which are highly sensitive to short-term (seasonal, interannual) and long-term climate changes, although how these dynamics alter aquaculture ecosystem interactions is poorly understood. Here, we investigate seasonal patterns in plankton abundance and community structure spanning several size fractions from 0.2 µm up to 5 mm, in a deep aquaculture embayment in northeast Newfoundland, Canada. Using flow cytometry and FlowCam imaging, we observed a clear seasonal relationship between fraction sizes driven by water column stratification (freshwater input, nutrient availability, light availability, water temperature). Plankton abundance decreased proportionally with increasing size fraction, aligning with size spectra theory. Within the bay, greater mesozooplankton abundance, and a greater relative abundance of copepods, was observed closest to the aquaculture lease. No significant spatial effect was observed for phytoplankton composition. While the months of August to October showed statistically similar plankton composition and size spectra slopes (i.e., food chain efficiency) and could be used for interannual variability comparisons of plankton composition, sampling for longer periods could capture long-term phenological shifts in plankton abundance and composition related to various processes, including climate change. Conclusions provide guidance on optimal sampling to monitor and assess aquaculture pathways of effects. Cite this data as: Sharpe H, Lacoursière-Roussel A, Gallardi D (2024). Ecological insight of seasonal plankton succession to monitor shellfish aquaculture ecosystem interactions. Version 3.2. Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Sampling event dataset. https://doi.org/10.25607/2ujdvh

Bay-scale empirical demonstrations of how bivalve aquaculture alters plankton composition, and subsequently ecological functioning and higher trophic levels, are lacking. Temporal, inter- and within-bay variation in hydrodynamic, environmental, and aquaculture pressure limit efficient plankton monitoring design to detect bay-scale changes and inform aquaculture ecosystem interactions. Here, we used flow cytometry to investigate spatio-temporal variations in bacteria and phytoplankton (< 20 µm) composition in four bivalve aquaculture embayments. We observed higher abundances of bacteria and phytoplankton in shallow embayments that experienced greater freshwater and nutrient inputs. Depleted nutrient conditions may have led to the dominance of picophytoplankton cells, which showed strong within-bay variation as a function of riverine vs freshwater influence and nutrient availability. Although environmental forcings appeared to be a strong driver of spatio-temporal trends, results showed that bivalve aquaculture may reduce near-lease phytoplankton abundance and favor bacterial growth. We discuss aquaculture pathways of effects such as grazing, benthic-pelagic coupling processes, and microbial biogeochemical cycling. Conclusions provide guidance on optimal sampling considerations using flow cytometry in aquaculture sites based on embayment geomorphology and hydrodynamics. Cite this data as: Sharpe H, Lacoursière-Roussel A, Barrell J (2024). Monitoring bay-scale bivalve aquaculture ecosystem interactions using flow cytometry. Version 1.2. Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Samplingevent dataset. https://ipt.iobis.org/obiscanada/resource?r=monitoring_bay-scale_bivalve_aquaculture_ecosystem_interactions_using_flow_cytometry&v=1.2

Phytoplankton counts (cell/L)) at the 3 fixed stations and some of the 46 stations grouped into Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program (AZMP) transects under Quebec region responsibility. Phytoplankton data counts at AZMP stations in June 2014, 2018 and 2019 are displayed as 5 layers: Diatoms, Dinoflagellates, Flagellates, Protozoans and Total Phytoplankton. Another layer displays the fixed stations Rimouski, Anticosti Gyre and Gaspe Current and the attached files contain the phytoplankton data acquired at those stations: a .png file for each one, showing time series of counts for the 5 groups, and a .csv file containing the data themselves (columns : Latitude,Longitude, Date(UTC), Depth_min/Profondeur_min(m), Depth_max/Profondeur_max(m), Diatoms/Diatomées(cells/L), Dinoflagellates/Dinoflagellés(cells/L), Flagellates/Flagellés(cells/L), Protozoans/Protozoaires(cells/L), Phytoplankton/Phytoplancton(cells/L)). Purpose The Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program (AZMP) was implemented in 1998 with the aim of increasing the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) capacity to detect, track and predict changes in the state and productivity of the marine environment. The AZMP collects data from a network of stations composed of high-frequency monitoring sites and cross-shelf sections in each following DFO region: Québec, Gulf, Maritimes and Newfoundland. The sampling design provides basic information on the natural variability in physical, chemical, and biological properties of the Northwest Atlantic continental shelf. Cross-shelf sections sampling provides detailed geographic information but is limited in a seasonal coverage while critically placed high-frequency monitoring sites complement the geography-based sampling by providing more detailed information on temporal changes in ecosystem properties. In Quebec region, two surveys (46 stations grouped into transects) are conducted every year, one in June and the other in autumn in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Historically, 3 fixed stations were sampled more frequently. One of these is the Rimouski station that still takes part of the program and is sampled about weekly throughout the summer and occasionally in the winter period. Annual reports (physical, biological and a Zonal Scientific Advice) are available from the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS), (http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas-sccs/index-eng.htm). Devine, L., Scarratt, M., Plourde, S., Galbraith, P.S., Michaud, S., and Lehoux, C. 2017. Chemical and Biological Oceanographic Conditions in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence during 2015. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2017/034. v + 48 pp. Supplemental Information Phytoplankton samples are collected using Niskin bottles, preserved with acid Lugol solution and analysed according to AZMP sampling protocol: Mitchell, M. R., Harrison, G., Pauley, K., Gagné, A., Maillet, G., and Strain, P. 2002. Atlantic Zonal Monitoring Program sampling protocol. Can. Tech. Rep. Hydrogr. Ocean Sci. 223: iv + 23 pp.