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Changes in phytoplankton community composition related to salinity, allochthonous matter, and nutrients were found in the mixing zone that extended from the outflow of the lower Yenisei River into the Yenisei Gulf and Kara Sea in Russia. The highest cell abundance (140-662×103 cells m-3), biomass (138-950 mg m-3) and species diversity were found in the freshwater area (i.e., the lower reaches of the Yenisei River). The river-sea transition was marked by a decrease in the relative abundance of green algae and cyanobacteria, but an increase in chrysophyte algae. The ratio of freshwater and marine phytoplankton species was quantified in each habitat. The results contribute to our understanding of biological processes in the estuaries of large rivers flowing into the shelf zone of the Arctic Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]