Variación temporal de las variables físico-químicas y biomasa fitoplanctónica en aguas superficiales de la zona costera de Chacopata, NE Venezuela (Mar Caribe)

To understand the dynamics of some physico-chemical variables and phytoplankton biomass the Atlantic surface waters of coast Chacopata (Northeastern Venezuela), water samples were monthly collected from October 2006 to March 2007. During this period, shallow coastal waters of Chacopata were characterized by a warmer period (28.3°C ± 0.5°C) occurring from October to January and a cooler from February to March (22.9°C ± 0.2°C). During the cooler period high dissolved nitrogen (nitrite and ammonium) and phosphate concentrations were observed. The highest concentration of chlorophyll (3.59 ± 0.41 mg Chl a m^-3) in surface waters was observed during the cooler period.