DISTRIBUTION OF PHYTOPLANKTON IN ABU QIR BAY (EGYPT).

DISTRIBUTION OF PHYTOPLANKTON IN ABU QIR BAY (EGYPT).
Amin A. Sarnaan and Samia K. Mikhail
National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Kayet Bey, Alexandria-Egypt.
ABSTRACT
The distribution of phytoplankton in Abu Qir Bay (Egypt)
was estimated for three seasons. The Bay is a shallow
estuary with a total area of about 38,000 hectars and it
receives considerable amounts of continental discharges.
The phytoplankton comunity in the Bay was mainly
represented by diatoms (100 species), while dinoflagellates
(25 species) were infrequently or scarcely recorded. The
majority of the diatoms encountered are neretic euryhaline
marine forms and of wide distribution in the Mediterra~ean
Sea. Few species are fresh water diatoms which tolerate
brackish conditions and were confined around the outlets of
inland discharges.
The average standing crop of phytoplankton during spring
(March) was 87,770 cells/l, increased to 482,840 cells/l in
summer (June) and 518,030 cells/l during autumn
(November). A bloom of Asterionella japonica was recorded in
October.
Results indicate that the Bay lies among the highly
fertile marine habitats in Egypt due to the eutrophication
by the continental discharges. The western coast shows signs
of pollution produced by the influx of El-Tabia Drain water
which is contaminated with industrial wastes.