The seas surrounding Sweden. Skagerrak, Kattegat, the Sound and the Baltic Proper.

Phytoplankton taxonomic abundance in water bodies; Phytoplankton taxonomic volume in water bodies

A database has been developed containing quantitative phytoplankton data from 24 stations along the Swedish west coast and Oresund/the Sound in co-operation with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the County Administration board of Vastra Gotaland. Also the county administration boards of Halland and Skane and others have assisted in making data available. Sampling is mostly made using hoses 0-10 and 10-20 m depth and frequency is usually monthly. Phytoplankton analysis method is the Utermohl technique. The length of time series ranges from a few months to 19 years, reaching a total of 400 samples from some of the stations. The earliest samples where collected in the Baltic Sea, 1983 at station B1. In 1985 sampling started at stations Lomma and Lundakra. The Water Quality Association of the Bohus Coast started taking samples in 1990 at, amongst others, stations Danafjord and Koljofjord. Halland followed in 1993 in the Laholm bay and North West Skane in 1997. The plankton list includes 260 identified species and 180 identified genera as well as unidentified groups of ciliates, choanoflagellates etc. The phytoplankton database will be connected to the Swedish Ocean Archive (SHARK) at SMHI, which holds hydrographic data such as nutrients and salinity.

Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute
Folkborgsvagen 1
Norrkoping

SE-601 76
Sweden