Literature-based insights into phytoplankton ecology at the Long-Term Ecological Research - Italy site Venice Lagoon

Since 1998, phytoplankton communities have been systematically studied at five stations in the northern and central parts of the Venice Lagoon (VL). The long-term maintenance of this phytoplankton data series, alongside similar datasets for other communities (e.g., zooplankton, macrozoobenthos, and macrophytes), has contributed to the inclusion of the VL as a site in the Italian Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) network. In this paper, we synthesize key insights into the phytoplankton ecology of the VL’s LTER stations, based exclusively on published studies. Specifically, we provide an overview of phytoplankton taxonomic composition, morphological traits, seasonal succession, long-term trends and interactions with the other components of the planktonic communities.