within a narrow range. The summer biomass increase is absent 
during years of extreme drought (1977) or years of exceptionally 
high discharge (1982). In South Bay, however, there is a direct 
relationship between phytoplankton biomass and river discharge. 
As discharge increases so does the buoyancy input required for 
density stratification, and wet years are characterized by 
persisent and intense spring blooms. 
REFERENCES 
Cloern, J.E. and F.H. Nichols (eds.), 1985. Temporal Dynamics of 
an Estuary: San Francisco . D.W. Junk Publishers, Dordrecht, 
The Netherlands. 
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