Does the chlorophyll a content of phytoplankton vary with trophic status in lakes on the New Zealand central volcanic plateau?

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Abstract
Recently, it has been shown that ratios of chlorophyll a to particulate phosphorus (Chl a/PP) and chlorophyll a to particulate nitrogen (Chl a/PN) were significantly higher in eutrophic than oligo/mesotrophic waters in 17 lakes on the central volcanic plateau, North Island, New Zealand. This difference was thought to be due to an increase in the chlorophyll a content of phytoplankton in these eutrophic lakes. Corresponding measurements of chlorophyll a and phytoplankton cell volume made during this study do not support this hypothesis. However, ratios of chlorophyll a to adenosine triphosphate and estimates of percentage phytoplankton biomass were significantly higher (Pa/PP and Chl a/PN may be high in eutrophic waters simply because phytoplankton comprise more of the total microbial biomass. This hypothesis is supported by a strong linear relationship (r=0.88, Pa/PP and percentage phytoplankton biomass in six of our study lakes where corresponding measurements were made.