COMPOSITION AND ABUNDANCE OF NET

PHYTOPLANKTON DURING THE EASTERN SULU SEA

COASTAL UPWELLING IN 2012 AND 2013

Liberty Grace L. Calimbo

Phytoplankton plant wanderers or drifter

plays a critical role in primary production,
nutrient cycling, and food webs and make up a
significant proportion of the primary production
in aquatic systems (Dawes, 1998)
serves as primary producers in the
ocean(Reynolds, 2006).

To determine the abundance and composition of

phytoplankton in Eastern Sulu Sea during upwelling
events in 2012 and 2013.
To determine the selected major physical-chemical
conditions in Eastern Sulu Sea during upwelling
events in 2012 and 2013.
To determine major physic-chemical conditions
that are correlated with the abundance of
phytoplankton species in Eastern Sulu Sea during
upwelling events in 2012 and 2013.

Distribution and abundance of diatoms

indicate an ideal environment for active
growth and survival of other forms of lives.
Phytoplankton serves as both direct and
indirect sources of food to sardines which
form a large fishery in the upwelling area in
Eastern Sulu Sea, particularly off Zamboanga
del Norte.

Sampling Area:

Net phytoplankton collection

Physico- chemical parameters determination

Laboratory analysis
* Identification of different phytoplankton
species
Statistical analysis
* Bray-Curtis cluster analysis
* Pearson Correlation analysis

A total of 48 phytoplankton species were

identified representing 26 genera that belong
to diatoms (29 species), dinoflagellates (13
species), and cyanobacteria (4 species).

Figure3. Relationship among the Different Sampling Stations

on the abundance of
phytoplankton species in Dipolog and
Figure
2. Bray-Curtis
% similarities
on the abundance of phytoplankton
Sindangan
Bays in
the year 2012.
species among the 14 sampling stations in Dipolog and Sindangan
Bays in the year 2012.

Figure 4 continuation. Spatial abundance of different species

of phytoplankton per station of Dipolog Bay-Sindangan Bay
in the year 2012. total abundance (Q).

Figure 6. Relationship of the 16 sampling stations on the

most abundant phytoplankton species in Dipolog and
Figure 5.Bays
Bray-Curtis
% similarity
Sindangan
in the year
2013. of the 16 sampling
stations on the most abundant phytoplankton species in
Dipolog and Sindangan Bays in the year 2013.

Figure 7 continuation. Spatial abundance of different species

of phytoplankton per station of Dipolog Bay-Sindangan Bay in
the year 2013. total abundance (Q).

Table 8. Correlation between physic-chemical parameters and abundance of

different species of phytoplankton using Pearson analysis in Dipolog and
Sindangan Bays in the year 2012.
Parameter

Tni

Cwa

Sco

Lan

Bpa

Psp

Rse

Ter

Cde

Bma

Cso

Dco

Dtr

Gfl

Dpu

Oth

Pearson r

-0.34

0.22

-0.28

0.09

0.11

0.28

-0.27

-0.26

0.11

-0.13

-0.15

0.12

0.61*

0.03

0.01

0.28

Sig. (p)

0.22

0.43

0.31

0.74

0.69

0.32

0.34

0.36

0.7

0.66

0.61

0.68

0.02

0.92

0.98

0.31

Pearson r

-0.28

0.26

-0.38

0.03

0.21

0.13

-0.41

-0.37

0.13

-0.13

-0.18

0.3

0.61*

0.09

0.15

0.28

Sig. (p)

0.31

0.34

0.17

0.92

0.45

0.64

0.13

0.18

0.64

0.64

0.52

0.29

0.02

0.77

0.59

0.31

Pearson r

0.45

-0.31

0.37

0.06

-0.21

0.04

0.06

-0.09

0.1

0.58*

0.60*

-0.42

-0.00

-0.55*

-0.3

0.22

Sig. (p)

0.09

0.26

0.19

0.84

0.45

0.88

0.84

0.77

0.73

0.02

0.02

0.12

1.0

0.35

0.30

0.43

Pearson r

-0.41

-0.31

-0.31

-0.04

-0.22

0.07

0.21

-0.14

-0.05

-0.18

-0.07

-0.32

-0.01

0.42

-0.37

-0.12

Sig. (p)

0.13

0.26

0.26

0.9

0.43

0.8

0.44

0.63

0.85

0.51

0.82

0.24

0.98

0.12

0.17

0.68

Pearsonr

0.37

-0.30

0.37

0.41

0.2

-0.19

-0.03

0.06

0.26

0.49

0.49

-0.22

-0.38

-0.4:*

-0.25

0.17

Sig. (p)

0.18

0.27

0.17

0.13

0.5

0.51

0.91

0.83

0.36

0.07

0.07

0.43

0.16

0.02

0.36

0.53

Pearsonr

-0.19

0.1

0.24

0.07

-0.3

0.22

0.29

0.38

-0.08

-0.04:

0.03

-0.33

-0.06

-0.16

-0.23

-0.1:

Sig. (p)

0.51

0.73

0.39

0.81

0.34

0.43

0.29

0.16

0.78

0.9

0.92

0.22

0.83

0.59

0.41

0.66

Salinity
Pearson r

0.12

0.14

-0.46

-0.22

0.34

-0.43

-0.58*

-0.53*

0.1

-0.02

-0.11

0.61*

0.14

0.2

0.46

0.08

Sig. (p)

0.67

0.62

0.08

0.43

0.22

0.11

0.03

0.04

0.74

0.94

0.69

0.02

0.62

0.48

0.08

0.78

Pearson r

-0.10

0.24

0.70**

0.29

-0.11

0.32

0.66**

0.86**

-0.09

-0.12

-0.13

-0.28

-0.15

-0.12

-0.14

-0.13

Sig. (p)

0.72

0.4

0.00

0.3

0.70

0.25

0.01

0.00

0.76

0.67

0.65

0.32

0.60

0.66

0.62

0.64

Pearson r

0.23

-0.04

-0.28

0.34

0.28

-0.32

-0.39

-0.25

0.3

-0.20

-0.09

0.18

-0.10

-0.21

0.00

0.4

Sig. (p)

0.42

0.88

0.31

0.21

0.32

0.24

0.16

0.37

0.28

0.47

0.76

0.53

0.72

0.46

0.99

0.14

Temp.

Cond.

DO

CDOM

Chl.A

Turb

Depth

Time

Table 9. Correlation between physic-chemical parameters and different species

of phytoplankton using Pearson analysis in Dipolog and Sindangan Bays in the
year 2013
Tni

Cwa

Sco

Lan

Bpa

Psp

Rse

Ter

Cde

Bma

Cso

Dco

Dtr

Gfl

Dpu

Oth

Pearson (r)

-0.36

0.27

-0.25

0.14

0.1

0.35

-0.23

-0.25

0.10

-0.15

-0.17

0.08

0.60*

0.01

-0.01

0.27

Sig. (p)

0.21

0.36

0.39

0.63

0.74

0.23

0.43

0.39

0.74

0.62

0.57

0.79

0.02

0.97

0.97

0.36

Pearson (r)

-0.32

0.34

-0.31

0.10

0.2

0.23

-0.34

-0.33

0.11

-0.17

-0.22

0.25

0.59*

0.06

0.12

0.26

Sig. (p)

0.27

0.27

0.29

0.73

0.51

0.44

0.23

0.25

0.7

0.57

0.46

0.4

0.03

0.84

0.67

0.37

Pearson (r)

0.45

-0.32:

0.52

0.06

-0.21

0.05

0.08

-0.16

0.1

0.58*

0.61*

-0.44

-0.00

-0.6*

-0.3

0.22

Sig. (p)

0.11

0.26

0.06

0.84

0.47

0.88

0.79

0.59

0.75

0.03

0.02

0.12

1.0

0.04

0.30

0.44

CDOM
Pearson (r)

-0.44

-0.28

-0.23

0.03

-0.25

0.15

0.48

0.09

-0.07

-0.22

-0.09

-0.40

-0.04

0.41

-0.41

-0.15

Sig. (p)

0.11

0.34

0.43

0.93

0.39

0.61

0.08

0.77

0.81

0.46

0.75

0.16

0,89

0.15

0.14

0.61

Pearson (r)

0.37

-0.31

0.53

0.43

0.2

-0.19

-0.04

0.13

0.26

0.49

0.49

-0.23

-0.39

-0.6*

-0.26

0.17

Sig. (p)

0.19

0.28

0.05

0.12

0.50

0.51

0.9

0.67

0.38

0.08

0.08

0.43

0.17

0.02

0.37

0.55

Pearson (r)

-0.17

-0.16

0.10

-0.00

-0.25

0.16

0.18

0.35

-0.06

-0.01

0.06

-0.28

-0.03

-0.13

-0.21

-0.1

Sig. (p)

0.57

0.58

0.73

1.0

0.39

0.6

0.54

0.22

0.83

0.99

0.84

0.33

0.93

0.66

0.48

0.74

Salinity
Pearson (r)

0.09

0.29

-0.23

-0.11

0.33

-0.34

-0.41

-0.31

0.06

-0.09

-0.19

0.57*

0.08

0.16

0.45

0.03

Sig. (p)

0.77

0.32

0.43

0.71

0.25

0.23

0.14

0.29

0.83

0.77

0.51

0.03

0.78

0.58

0.11

0.93

Pearson (r)

0.32

0.21

-0.20

-0.4

-0.07

-0.04

-0.04

-0.36

-0.38

-0.16

-0.13

-0.02

0.14

0.08

0.08

-0.14

Sig. (p)

0.27

0.48

0.49

0.16

0.82

0.89

0.89

0.20

0.19

0.58

0.67

0.95

0.64

0.79

0.79

0.62

Pearson Cor.(r)

0.21

0.04

-0.06

0.49

0.26

-0.24

-0.23

0.09

0.29

-0.26

-0.14

0.09

-0.16

-0.27

-0.05

0.38

Sig. (p)

0.48

0.89

0.84

0.08

0.38

0.41

0.44

0.76

0.32

0.37

0.64

0.76

0.58

0.35

0.87

0.18

Parameter
Temp.

Cond.

DO

Chl.A

Turb

Depth

Time

Therefore
upwelling ecosystem has great influence
in the abundance and development of
phytoplankton species
abundance of the different
phytoplankton species in Dipolog Bay and
Sindangan Bay were correlated to certain
environmental parameters temperature,
conductivity, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and
depth during the years 2012 and 2012.

This paper commends further research and

exploration in understanding the pattern of
distribution and species diversity of
phytoplankton in Dipolog Bay-Sindangan Bay
off Zamboanga del Norte, and in other
biologically enriched pelagic systems in the
country.