Pelagic Algocenoses of the Barents Sea in the Ice Edge Area in the Spring

In April 2019, complex studies of phytoplankton at the northeast of the Barents Sea simultaneously with the determination of hydrological characteristics were conducted. The aim of the work was to identify structural peculiarities of the edge bloom of pelagic microalgae in the spring. A taxonomic list of organisms found at the studied water area included 61 representatives identified to the species level. The species similarity index (Jaccard coefficient) of algocenoses in different water masses reached the level of just over 20%, namely: 24.69% for the communities of Atlantic and Barents Sea waters, 23.08% for the Barents Sea and Arctic waters, 20.24% for Arctic and Atlantic waters. At the same time, it was more than 40% between the stations in the edge zone and adjacent ones on the section. It can be stated that during the observation period, there was no effect of the components of ice flora on pelagic communities.