Seasonal dinoflagellate cyst production and terrestrial palynomorph deposition in the East Asian Monsoon influenced South China Sea: A sediment trap study from the Southwest Taiwan waters

Dinoflagellate cyst assemblages were dominated by cysts produced by heterotrophic taxa, especially Brigantedinium spp. at 68-91%. Proportionally higher increases than those of cysts produced by autotrophic dinoflagellates resulted in lower heterotrophic to autotrophic ratios in July-August. The highest total cyst fluxes occurred in late July of ~ 20,000 cysts m-2 d-1 together with the highest fluxes of autotrophic Operculodinium centrocarpum, Spiniferites spp., and Lingulodinium hemicystum. The increased fluxes of almost all dinoflagellate cyst taxa during July-August were related to the decreased sea-surface salinity (SSS) due to the greater river water inputs and nutrients.