Nutritional Components of the Standing Plankton Crop in Mississippi Sound

A study on seasonal changes in the nutritional components of standing plankton biomass was made from 20 April 1965 to 6 September 1966. Plankton were separated into net plankton and nannoplankton fractions. Nannoplankton3 standing biomass exceeded by 72 times that of net plankton. Although protein and carbohydrate levels were higher in net plankton on a unit weight basis, total nutrients available from nannoplankton were substantially higher. Some seasonal trends were apparent as changes in the standing biomass in net plankton. Nannoplankton exhibited no seasonal trends. Lipid and caloric values of net plankton showed seasonal trends similar to those shown by dry weight.