Distribution of dinoflagellate resting cysts in surface sediments from the Changjiang River estuary

In order to understand the potential of algal blooms, surface sediments were collected from 12 stations in the Changjiang River estuary with longitude from 122 degrees to 123.5 degrees E and latitude from 29 degrees to 32 degrees N from April to May 2002 to investigate the distribution of dinoflagellate resting cysts, 29 different cyst morphotypes representing 19 genera and 6 groups were identified. Among them, there were 11 autotrophic species and 18 heterotrophic ones. The number of species observed in each sample was low, and varied from 10 to 21. Cyst concentrations varied from 11.7 to 587 cysts per gram dry weight. Cyst concentrations and species diversity were higher in offshore areas, and increased from the west to the east, and from the north to the south within the studied area. Cysts of Alexandrium distributed widely in the Changjiang River estuary, with the maximum concentration of 40.4 cysts per gram dry weight. Cysts of harmful algal bloom causative species such as Alexandrium, Gymnodinium catenatum, Lingulodinium polyedra, Scrippsiellla trochoidea, Polykrikos kofoidii and P. schwartzii were also observed in this survey.