A systematic sampling of twenty stations was conducted over four periods within a year (June 1986, October 1986, February 1987, and May 1987) in Thau lagoon. Multivariate analyses (clustering, and principal coordinate analysis) were carried out on phytoplankton species counts. These analyses allowed homogenous areas within the lagoon to be identified and permitted the characterization of these areas in terms of the marine or continental origins of their phytoplankton taxa. The results show the relative importance of each kind of input (marine, continental), and contrast the punctual influence of the continental inputs against the more global effects of the sea. The conclusions drawn from the taxonomic portion of the study were confirmed by statistical... |