High-resolution temporal NDVI data reveal contrasting intratidal, spring-neap and seasonal biomass dynamics in euglenoid- and diatom-dominated biofilms.

Intertidal microphytobenthos (MPB) are a major contributor to primary production in estuarine ecosystems. While their biomass is highly variable at multiple spatial and temporal scales, the underlying drivers are as yet little understood. Both in situ sampling and remote-sensing techniques often lack the temporal resolution or coverage to simultaneously capture short-term (intratidal to daily) and longer-term (weekly to annual) biomass changes.

Long-term phytoplankton dynamics in the Zeeschelde estuary (Belgium) are driven by the interactive effects of de-eutrophication, altered hydrodynamics and extreme weather events.

We studied how changing human impacts affected phytoplankton dynamics in the freshwater and brackish tidal reaches of the Zeeschelde estuary (Belgium) between 2002 and 2018. Until the early 2000s, the Zeeschelde was heavily polluted due to high wastewater discharges. By 2008, water quality had improved, resulting in lower nutrient concentrations and higher oxygen levels.

Tracking the sterol biosynthesis pathway of the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum.

Diatoms are unicellular photosynthetic microalgae that play a major role in global primary production and aquatic biogeochemical cycling. Endosymbiotic events and recurrent gene transfers uniquely shaped the genome of diatoms, which contains features from several domains of life. The biosynthesis pathways of sterols, essential compounds in all eukaryotic cells, and many of the enzymes involved are evolutionarily conserved in eukaryotes.