RECENT ADVANCES ON CHARACTERIZATION OF THE PHYTOPLANKTONIC DISTRIBUTION IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

Phytoplanktons play important roles in the oceanic ecology, global climate change, and adjustment of pCO₂. Early studies of phytoplanktons included oxygen consumption methods and radioactive ¹⁴C method. Recently, flow cytometry and remote-sensing technology are increasingly used for determining the total amounts of phytoplanktons, and molecular biotechnology. Pigments and lipids methods are also used for studying the community structure of phytoplanktons. The South China Sea is the largest marginal sea in the western Pacific and is affected deeply by the Asian monsoon. This review summarizes research on phytoplankton community distribution and their temporal and spatial variations in the South China Sea. The impact of the climatic and environmental factors on the modern phytoplanktonic ecology is also discussed. Finally, paleoproductivity changes and the influencing factors in the South China Sea are discussed.