Breckenridge1, J.K, S.M. Bollens, G. Rollwagen-Bollens, and G.C. Roegner. Plankton assemblage
variability in a river-dominated temperate estuary during late spring (high flow) and late summer (low
flow) periods. Estuaries and Coasts.
1
Corresponding author current address: Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University
of British Columbia, 2020-2207 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
E-mail: jbrecken@eos.ubc.ca
Online Resource 2 Mesozooplankton cluster description. Average salinity and
temperature (Temp) at collection (±1 standard deviation), the number of samples
collected during low-flow and high-flow cruises, dominant taxa, and significant indicator
taxa with indicator values ≥35
Mesozooplankton clusters
2b
3a
Cluster
1
2a
3b
Salinity
Temp
Low-flow
High-flow
2.4±1.2
16.1±2.8
0
34
9.3±4.6
17.7±1.6
20
2
17.3±1.4
14.6±0.4
10
0
17.5±5.8
15.4±1.1
0
16
22.4±4.9
13.2±1.8
20
5
Dominant
taxa
Eurytemora
affinis
Pseudodiaptomus
forbesi
Rotifera
Rotifera
Rotifera
Paracalanus
parvus
Rotifera
Polychaeta
Indicator
taxa
Asplanchna
spp.
Oligochaeta
Diacyclops
thomasi
Nematoda
Daphnia spp.
Moina sp.
Limnoithona
tetraspina
Diaphanosoma spp.
Pseudodiaptomus
forbesi
Ectinosoma
spp.
Coryceous anglicus
Microarthridion
littoralis
Microsetella
norvegica
Acartia tonsa
Oikopleura dioica
Leimia vaga
Tachidiidae
Paracalanus
parvus
Pseudobradya sp.
Acartia longiremis
Pseudocalanus
spp.
Calanus spp.
Centropages
abdominalis
Tortanus spp.
Oithona similis
Online Resource 3 Microplankton cluster description. Average salinity and temperature
(Temp) at collection (±1 standard deviation), the number of samples collected during
low-flow and high-flow cruises, dominant taxa, and significant indicator taxa with
indicator values ≥35
Cluster
Microplankton clusters
2a
1a
1b
2b
Salinity
Temp
Low-flow
High-flow
2.8±2.4
16.9±0.8
0
35
2.9±1.7
19.9±0.6
13
0
13.3±6.7
16.8±1.9
5
4
4.1±2.9
20.1±1.2
22
0
Dominant
taxa
Aulacoseira spp.
Small centric
diatoms
Mesodinium rubrum
Aulacoseira spp.
Aulacoseira spp.
Mesodinium rubrum
Mesodinium rubrum
Aulacoseira spp.
Indicator
taxa
Melosira varians
Asterionella spp.
Large centric
diatoms
Dictyosphaerium spp.
Gyrosigma spp,
Dactyliosolen spp.
Chaetoceros
curvisetus
Pseudonitzschia “B”
Tropidoneis spp.
Cerautalina spp,
Asterionellopsis glacias
Strombidium spp.
Dinophysis spp,
Ditylum brightwelli
None
Online Resource 4 Mesozooplankton and microplankton NMDS environmental
variables with correlations greater than r = 0.5. Percentage of between-sample variation
explained is noted beneath each axis. Variables are categorized as spatial (S), temporal
(T), water quality (W), or biological (B), Note that many water quality and biological
variables vary with space and season. Note that microplankton data were available for
only one year, making the temporal variables (julian date and days from spring transition)
redundant when correlated to that ordination
Mesozooplankton
Axis 1
Axis 2
Microplankton
Axis 1
Axis 2
Axis 3
Variables
Category
47%
42%
15%
22%
49%
Longitude
S
0.56
0.02
-0.57
0.08
0.15
Salinity
W
-0.92
-0.46
0.58
-0.03
-0.49
Surface Salinity
W
-0.66
-0.16
0.60
-0.10
-0.17
Salinity stratification
W
-0.58
-0.52
0.23
0.04
-0.60
Julian Date
T
0.07
-0.32
0
-0.11
-0.90
Season (wet/dry)
T
0.31
0.84
0
0.08
0.89
Temperature
W
0.66
0.11
-0.72
-0.05
0.19
Surface Temperature
W
-0.07
-0.55
-0.38
-0.10
-0.71
Temperature stratification
W
-0.57
-0.69
0.19
0
-0.84
River discharge (previous week avg)
T
0.30
0.63
0.02
0.11
0.87
Richness
B
-0.57
-0.02
0.68
-0.08
0.07
Diversity
B
-0.33
0.34
0.68
-0.07
0.06
Days from spring transition
T
-0.23
-0.87
--
--
--
4 day cumulative wind stress
T
0.41
0.72
0.04
0.51
0.67
Online Resource 5 Mesozooplankton 2005-2006 NMDS taxa log(x+1) abundance
correlations to NMS ordination axes. Twenty most abundant taxa and taxa with
correlation coefficients greater than r = 0.50 are shown in order of ranked average
abundance. Commonly recognized taxonomic group and, when known, salinity
preference – marine (M), brackish (B), and freshwater (F) - of each taxon are listed.
Taxon
Rotifera
Group
Rotifer
Salinity
--
Axis 1
-0.18
Axis 2
-0.59
Rank
1
Eurytemora affinis
Copepod
B
0.32
0.82
2
Pseudodiaptomus forbesi
Copepod
B/F
0.14
-0.37
3
Coullana canadensis
Copepod
B
0.32
0.59
4
Polychaete larvae
Annelid
--
-0.74
-0.30
5
Paracalanus parvus
Copepod
M
-0.65
0.17
6
Bivalvia
Bivalve
--
-0.73
-0.21
7
Cladoceran
F
0.63
0.60
8
Microsetella norvegica
Copepod
M
-0.54
0.38
9
Pseudobradya sp.
Copepod
M/B
0.12
0.75
10
Oithona similis
Copepod
M
-0.85
-0.24
11
Tachidiidae
Copepod
--
-0.14
0.25
12
Appendicularian
M
-0.75
0.05
13
Bosmina longirostris
Oikopleura dioica
Cyclopoida
Copepod
--
0.42
0.23
14
Acartia tonsa
Copepod
M/B
-0.46
0.27
15
Rotifer
--
0.46
0.35
16
Copepod
B
-0.03
0.57
17
Brachionus spp.
Microarthridion littoralis
Daphnia spp.
Cladoceran
--
0.52
0.51
18
Pseudocalanus spp
Copepod
M
-0.63
-0.25
19
Nematoda
Nematode
--
0.32
0.66
20
Rotifer
F
0.48
0.60
21
Oligochaeta
Annelid
--
0.49
0.56
23
Diacyclops thomasi
Copepod
F
0.58
0.57
26
Acartia longiremus
Copepod
M
-0.57
-0.30
31
Centropages abdominalis
Copepod
M
-0.58
-0.13
38
Asplanchna spp.
Online Resource 6 Microplankton abundance correlations (r) to NMDS ordination axes.
Taxa with correlation coefficients greater than r = 0.50 are shown in order of ranked
average abundance. Commonly recognized taxonomic group and, when known, salinity
preference – marine (M), brackish (B), and freshwater (F) - of each taxon are listed
Taxon
Aulacoseira spp.
Group
Diatom
Salinity
F
Axis 1
-0.05
Axis 2
0.15
Axis 3
0.70
Rank
1
Small Centric diatoms (unidentified)
Diatom
--
0.08
0.12
0.87
2
Fragilaria spp.
Diatom
F
-0.34
0.24
0.57
3
Mesodinium rubrum
Ciliate
M/B
0.12
0.14
-0.65
4
Small Pennate (unidentified)
Diatom
--
-0.10
-0.17
0.60
5
Asterionella spp.
Diatom
F
-0.02
0.08
0.84
6
Large Pennate (unidentified)
Diatom
--
0.12
-0.39
0.57
7
Synedra spp.
Diatom
--
0.03
0.36
0.65
9
Chlorophyte
F
0.24
0.68
0.43
10
Diatom
M/B
0.58
-0.22
-0.52
11
Diatom
Chlorophyte
M/B
F
-0.02
-0.11
-0.30
0.60
0.69
0.14
13
16
Dactyliosolen spp.
Diatom
M
0.60
-0.22
-0.03
18
Asterionellopsis glacias
Diatom
M
0.52
0.05
-0.41
20
Large Centric diatoms (unidentified)
Diatom
--
0.21
-0.26
0.64
22
Ankistrodesmus spp.
Skeletonema spp.
Melosira varians
Dictyosphaerium spp.
Strombidium spp.
Ciliate
M
0.27
0.29
0.53
24
Ditylum brightwelli
Diatom
M/B
0.55
-0.34
-0.47
25
Pseudonitzschia 'B'
Diatom
M/B
0.60
-0.13
-0.09
26
Chlorophyte
F
0.03
0.06
0.56
29
Eucampia zodiacus
Diatom
M
0.31
-0.30
-0.70
30
Filamentous bacteria
Cyanobacteria
--
0.04
0.63
0.50
31
Diatom
M
0.52
-0.24
-0.46
33
Chlorophyte
B/F
0.02
0.35
0.53
36
Closteriopsis longissima
Asterionellopsis socialis
Scenedesmus spp.
Chaetoceros curvisetus
Diatom
M
0.54
0.04
-0.04
39
Cyanobacteria
F
0
0.180
0.51
41
Cerataulina spp.
Diatom
M
0.57
-0.30
-0.27
44
Cyclotella spp.
Diatom
--
-0.01
0.50
0.35
46
Entomoneis spp.
Diatom
--
0.45
-0.23
-0.53
68
Anabaena spp.