Phytoplankton samples were collected on August 20, 2025 at Bullock’s Reach and analyzed in the laboratory shortly after collection.
The water temperature was 23.1 °C, the salinity was 20.4 psu, and the chlorophyll a was 64.01ug/L
The qualitative tow net sample had a long filtration time. The filtrate was murky and dark brown. An aroma of seaweed was also noted in this sample.
The analysis of the quantitative whole water sample revealed a total of 2,015,000 cells/L. The most predominant phytoplankton genera were Leptocylindrus spp. at 995,000 cells/L, Skeletonema spp. at 390,000 cells/L, and Chaetoceros spp. at 350,000 cells/L.
Thalassionema is a small genus of mostly marine diatoms which form zig-zag or fan-shaped colonies of rectangular cells. They are commonly found in nutrient-rich upwelling regions and their presence indicates conditions of high productivity.