The study relies on numerical abundance data to assess phytoplankton community dynamics, as shown in Figure 3 and Table 2. However, the methodology for scaling and comparing abundance data across sites and seasons is unclear. Were abundance values normalized to account for potential sampling biases, such as variation in water volume filtered or environmental fluctuations during collection? Moreover, Figure 8 illustrates a Pearson correlation matrix but does not provide confidence intervals or p-values for these correlations, which are critical for assessing the reliability of the identified relationships. Could the authors elaborate on these points to ensure the robustness of their conclusions?
