Investigations of Inner Continental Shelf Waters Off Lower Chesapeake Bay. Part V. Seasonality of the Diatom Genus Chaetoceros

Twenty-five species of Chaetoceros were taken from monthly samples during one year in the Atlantic Ocean off the Virginia capes. Results indicate the fall-winter period to be the most productive in numbers and species diversity. The Chaetoceros population was primarily a mixture of cold- and warm-water forms, with two species, C. decipiens and C. didymus, being most abundant and widespread. A cyclic seasonal pattern based on past records is suggested for the genus along the east coast of the United States. Seasonality, temperature, and salinity ranges for each species are presented