Phytoplankton biodiversity in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea Gulf of Augusta (Sicily).

Coastal areas are characterised by high variability which gives rise to an high variability of phytoplankton abundance and biodiversity. This work reports on a cruise carried out in the Gulf of Augusta during October 2001 in the framework SAMCA (System Approach to Mediterranean Coastal Areas). The main objectives of this paper were to describe the vertical and horizontal patterns of phytoplankton and to characterize the main envrionmental factors which control the distribution of phytoplankton abundances and biodiversity. Hydrochemical and biological data suggest that the Eastern SIcilian Current would favour the enhancement of phytoplankton growth and biodiversity in the Gulf of Augusta.