YEARLY VARIATION IN PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY OF MARINE-PHYTOPLANKTON FROMCABO-FRIO (RJ, BRAZIL) REGION

Light saturation curves of natural assemblages of phytoplankton at 4 s tations in Cabo Frio coastal waters were examined and related to chang es in environmental conditions, based on 263 experiments carried out w eekly during two years. No differences in specific productivity at sat urating light (Pm(B)) between stations were detected. Global mean valu e of Pm(B) was 4.7 mgC mgChla-1 h-1 with a range from 0.50 to 15.29. S ignificant seasonal variations were not observed. Correlation and regr ession analysis attributed most of Pm(B) variation to temperature, sal inity, nutrients and the phaeopigment: chlorophyll-a ratio.