Phytoplankton concentration measurements in Sydney Harbour - 22nd October 2004

A study of the response of phytoplankton to rainfall in Sydney Harbour, on the 22nd October 2004, is reported here. Sydney Harbour is an important port and recreational region for the city of Sydney. Phytoplankton can be used as one of the indexes of water quality. The concentration of phytoplankton is influenced by the nutrients in the water and the amount of nutrients is thought to alter according to the urban and industrial wastes that drain from the city of Sydney.
The amount of phytoplankton before and after rainfall at Pyrmont in Sydney Harbour was observed. The concentration of chlorophyll after a period of rainfall from the 15th October to the 4th of November 2004, as measured from the surface to 7m deep, was almost 5 times as much as that as before the rain event. The maximum chlorophyll concentration observed by fluorometer was 27 [ug/litre].