Diatoms in the ice of Velikaya Salma strait, the White Sea, before the spring algal bloom

Abstract

Diatom species composition in the ice of Velikaya Salma strait of Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea was studied in 5 stations in March, 2013–2014—prior to the spring algal bloom. Under-ice water salinity and ice thickness did not differ significantly between the two years. In total 59 diatom taxa (47 species and 12 taxa of higher taxonomic ranks) were found in the ice of Velikaya Salma strait, which makes 61% of the number of diatom taxa found in Velikaya Salma ice during the whole ice period and 22% of all the White Sea ice species. Species Stenoneis obtuserostrata (Hustedt) Poulin and Gyrosigma concilians (Cleve) Okolodkov were identified in the White Sea ice for the first time. Szymkiewicz-Simpson similarity coefficient for pairs of stations with significant difference was 0.44–0.80.