Patterns and Predictors of Phytoplankton Assemblage Structure in a Coastal Lagoon: Species-Specific Analysis Needed to Disentangle Anthropogenic Pressures from Ocean Processes

Phytoplankton are dominant primary producers and key indicators in aquatic ecosystems. Understanding the controlling factors on the structure of phytoplankton assemblages is fundamental, but particularly challenging at the land–ocean interface. To identify the patterns and predictors of phytoplankton assemblage structure in the Ria Formosa coastal lagoon (south Portugal), this study combined phytoplankton abundance along a transect between the discharge point of a wastewater treatment plant and a lagoon inlet, over two years, with physico-chemical, hydrographic, and meteo-oceanographic