SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF THE SPRING PHYTOPLANKTON DISTRIBUTION IN PORT SAID COAST (EGYPT)

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of Marine Science, Suez Canal University. Ismailia, Egypt.

Abstract

The coastal area of Port Said is subjected to water exchange with two different water bodies, the Suez Canal and LakeManzalah. Samples were collected from area subjected to both Suez Canal and LakeManzalah waters (western coast), also from area eastern coast of Port Said and from the northern entrance of the Suez Canal in spring of two years 2004 and 2005. Surface water temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen were measured and phytoplankton species composition and abundance were studied. Surface water salinity showed visible variations along the coast with values ranged between 26 ‰ and 40 ‰. The western coast in front of lakeManzalah displayed the lowest number of phytoplankton species (14 species) with the highest standing crop (273 x103 individuals/L). The diatoms were the dominant group in both western and eastern coasts; by contrast, the dinoflagellates dominated all the phytoplankton groups at the coastal area near to the mouth of the Suez Canal. Phytoplankton community of the Port Said coast was dominated with different species. Western area was dominated by Cyclotella menegheniana, Nitzschia closterium, Cyclotella kutzingiana, Anabaena torulosa and Anabaena spiroides while eastern coast was dominated by Synedra pulchella. The lowest values of diversity indices were observed in the western coast during both two seasons and in the eastern coast in spring 2005. Different phytoplankton species composition and abundance were observed at the same stations in the springs of the two years. The variations of phytoplankton community structure and abundance at the coastal area of Port Said were discussed.

Keywords

References

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