本研究探討黑潮上游海域三類超微浮游植物(Picophytoplankton)，包括原核綠球藻(Prochlorococcus)、聚球藻(Synechococcus)及真核超微藻類(picoeukaryotes)生物量之分布，及影響其分布之環境因子。研究期間自2007年7月至2009年5月，共八個航次；採樣地點為台灣東南方之黑潮，包括離岸及近岸測站，緯度在21°55’N，經度在121°00’~122°10’E間。除自然界樣品外，並進行培養實驗，包括遮光實驗、添加硝酸鹽及重金屬培養實驗、溫度控制實驗與捕食實驗，以探討影響三類超微浮游植物生長之因子。所有樣本皆以流式細胞儀(flow cytometry)計數三類超微浮游植物細胞數量。
黑潮所測得之原核綠球藻(0-200 m水柱累計)細胞數，在四季分別為26.63 ± 3.87 (春)、19.07 ± 4.08 (夏)、16.05 ± 2.80 (秋)及17.89 ± 5.41 (冬) ×1012 cells m-2。豐度以春季最高，其他季節之差異不明顯，不同區域間(離岸或近岸)只有在冬季呈顯著差異(p<0.05)，細胞數以離岸(17.89 ± 5.41 × 1012 cells m-2)多於近岸(3.19 ± 2.07 × 1012 cells m-2)。與原核綠球藻細胞數顯著相關之環境因子包括水溫、硝酸鹽躍層深度、有光層深度、表水[N+N]及SRP濃度，即水溫越高、硝酸鹽躍層及有光層深度越深、表水[N+N]及SRP濃度越低，呈現原核綠球藻豐度越高。原核綠球藻垂直分布自表水開始即有很高的細胞數(>100×103 cells ml-1)，垂直分布上細胞數最大值(200~300 × 103 cells ml-1)出現在75 m以淺，一直到水深超過100 m，仍維持有>25 × 103 cells ml-1，深度超過150 m後細胞數幾近於0。
聚球藻與真核超微藻類水柱累計細胞數在黑潮無明顯季節變化，豐度範圍分別為0.32~1.07 × 1012cells m-2(聚球藻)與0.16~0.24 × 1012 cells m-2(真核超微藻類)，在不同區域間(離岸或近岸)也只在冬季有顯著差異(p<0.05)，細胞數近岸(聚球藻近岸為2.94 ± 0.32 × 1012 cells m-2，真核超微藻類近岸為0.52 ± 0.05 × 1012 cells m-2)多於離岸；與聚球藻細胞數顯著相關之環境因子包括硝酸鹽躍層深度與表水SRP濃度，即硝酸鹽躍層越淺及表水SRP濃度越高時，聚球藻豐度越多；而與真核超微藻類細胞數顯著相關之環境因子包括水溫、硝酸鹽躍層深度、有光層深度、表水[N+N]及SRP濃度，即水溫越低、硝酸鹽躍層及有光層深度越淺、表水[N+N]及SRP濃度越高，則真核超微藻類豐度越高。垂直分布上，聚球藻細胞數最大值亦在75 m以淺，而可分布的最深深度比原核綠球藻淺，超過水深100 m後，細胞數幾近於0；相對於原核綠球藻與聚球藻，真核超微藻類細胞數最大值通常出現在次表水層，出現深度在水深50 m至125 m之間。所測試之三類超微浮游植物生物量之變動，呈現聚球藻與真核超微藻類間呈正相關，而兩者與原核綠球藻間均呈負相關。就環境因子而言，水溫、硝酸鹽躍層和有光層深度彼此間呈正相關，又與表水N+N、表水SRP濃度呈負相關；而表水N+N及表水SRP濃度彼此間也呈現正相關。
遮光實驗結果顯示，三類超微浮游植物對光照敏感度，以原核綠球藻與真核超微藻類較敏感，聚球藻則對光照有較好的耐受性或可能對光的需求也較大。在硝酸鹽添加實驗中，三類超微浮游植物在添加硝酸鹽後與控制組無明顯差異。而重金屬添加培養實驗，只有在添加EDTA後對三類超微浮游植物生長有明顯促進，添加Fe或Cu的影響則不顯著。溫度控制實驗結果顯示，僅有原核綠球藻明顯受培養溫度(27 °C and 30 °C)之影響，水溫為27 °C比30 °C時有較好的生長。捕食實驗結果則顯示，三類超微浮游植物受捕食效應之影響並不明顯。

Population dynamics of picophytoplanktons, including Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, and picoeukaryotes, were investigated in the upstream Kuroshio. Data were collected during eight cruises between July 2007 and May 2009. Sampling stations were located along 21°55’N and between 121°00’E and 122°10’E in the Kuroshio off the Southeast Taiwan. Monitoring experiments including light shadding experiment, nutrient enrichment, temperature control, and grazing experiments were conducted to better understand the mechanisms that affect the growths of the picophytoplanktons. The abundances of the picophytoplanktons were measured using a flow cytometry.Water column integrated (0~200 m) abundance of Prochlorococcus was higher (26.63 ± 3.87 × 1012 cells m-2) in spring than either summer (19.07 ± 4.08 × 1012 cells m-2), autumn (16.05 ± 2.80 × 1012 cells m-2), or winter (17.89 ± 5.41 × 1012 cells m-2). During winter, the abundance was significantly (p<0.05) higher at the offshore station (17.89 ± 5.41 × 1012 cells m-2) than the inshore station (3.19 ± 2.07 × 1012 cells m-2). The abundance of Prochlorococcus was positively related to water temperature, nitracline depth (Dni), and euphotic depth (Deu), and negatively to surface concentration of N+N or SRP. Prochlorococcus was abundant (>100 × 103 cells ml-1) in the upper 100-m water column. Its maximum (200~300 × 103 cells ml-1) often occurred at the depth shallower than 75 m. The cell density sustained at >25 × 103 cells ml-1 between 100~150 m and was almost nil at the depth deeper than 150 m.
There was no significant seasonal differences for either the abundances of Synechococcus (0.32~1.07 × 1012 cells m-2) or picoeukaryotes (0.16~0.24 × 1012 cells m-2). During winter, the abundances of Synechococcus was significantly (p<0.05) higher in the offshore Kuroshio water (2.94 ± 0.32 × 1012 cells m-2) than that of the inshore Kuroshio water. Similar trend of offshore (0.52 ± 0.05 × 1012 cells m-2) higher than the inshore was observed for picoeukaryotes in winter. The dynamics of Synechococcus abundance was positively related to surface SRP concentration and negatively to Dni. The picoeukaryotes abundance was positively related to surface N+N concentration, and SRP and negatively to Temp, Dni, and Deu. Vertical distribution of Synechococcus showed that the maximum abundance often occurred above 75 m, but was almost nil below 100 m. By contrast, the maximum abundance for picoeukaryotes often occurred between 50~125 m. The abundance of Synechococcus was positively related to the abundance of picoeukaryotes. And their abundance were negatively related to that of Prochlorococcus. Many environmental factors fluctualed parallelly. Dynamics of surface Temp, Dni and Deu were positively correlated to each other and either of them was negatively correlated to the dynamics of surface concentration of N+N or SRP. Surface N+N was positively correlated with surface SRP.
The result of light shadding experiment showed that Prochlorococcus and picoeukaryotes, compared to Synechococcus, were much sensitive to high intensity of light. This suggest that Synechococcus was more tolerant to high light intensity or required more light energy than Prochlorococcus or picoeukaryotes. The results of nutrient enrichment experiments showed that addition of EDTA significantly enhanced the growth of three groups of picophytoplanktons. However, there was no significant difference after addition of either nitrate, Fe, or Cu. Prochlorococcus grew better at 27 °C than 30 °C in the temperature experiment. But there was no difference in the growth rate between 27 °C and 30 °C for Synechococcus or picoeukaryotes The result of grazing experiment showed that there was no difference between the growth rate with and without grazers in the incubation for any of the three groups of picophytoplanktons.

謝辭i
中文摘要…ii
英文摘要…iv
目錄…vii
圖次…ix
表次…xi
第一章 前言…1
第二章 文獻回顧…3
2.1 黑潮流經臺灣之地理環境與水文…3
2.2 超微浮游植物…4
2.3 流式細胞儀原理…10
第三章 材料方法…13
3.1 海水樣本採集…13
3.2 超微浮游生物細胞豐度計數…14
3.3 培養實驗…15
3.4 營養鹽分析…18
3.5數據分析…19
第四章 結果…20
4.1 水文資料…20
4.2 超微浮游植物生物量…27
4.3 三類超微浮游植物間之比較…40
第五章 討論…42
5.1 細胞密度與其他海域之比較…42
5.2 與硝酸鹽的關係…46
5.3與重金屬之關係…48
5.4 與光照之關係…52
5.5 與溫度之關係…54
5.6 被捕食率…55
5.7 培養實驗生長率改以方法二計算之結果…56
5.8 超微浮游植物的競爭關係…58
參考文獻…61
圖…70
表…97

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