Protozoa in a stressed area of the Egyptian Mediterranean coast of Damietta, Egypt

Protozoa in a stressed area of the Egyptian Mediterranean coast of Damietta, Egypt

The Damietta coast is part of the Egyptian Mediterranean coast off the Nile Delta and has recently been polluted as a result of intensive human activities.The environmental parameters and protozoan community in the area were studied biweekly from January to December 2007. The results of the environm...

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Main Authors: Mohamed Moussa Dorgham, Wael Salah El-Tohamy, Nagwa Elsayed Abdel Aziz, Ahmed El-Ghobashi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences 2013-08-01
Series:Oceanologia
Subjects:
Environmental conditions
Pollution indicators
Coastal protozoa
Tintinnids
Non-tintinnid ciliates
Online Access:http://www.iopan.gda.pl/oceanologia/55_3.html#A11
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Summary:The Damietta coast is part of the Egyptian Mediterranean coast off the Nile Delta and has recently been polluted as a result of intensive human activities.The environmental parameters and protozoan community in the area were studied biweekly from January to December 2007. The results of the environmentalparameters indicated low salinity, oxic and anoxic conditions, high nutrient levels and intensive phytoplankton growth. A total of 69 protozoan specieswere identified, belonging to Amoebozoa (8 species), Foraminifera (12 species), non-tintinnid ciliates (22 species) and tintinnids (27 species). The numerical density of protozoans was high over the whole area, with annual averages between 8.2 &times; 10<sup>3</sup> cells m<sup>-3</sup> and 51.4 &times; 10<sup>3</sup> cells m<sup>-3</sup>.Spring was the most productive season for protozoans, but several distinct peaks were observed during the year at the sampling sites. The protozoangroups showed clearly different spatial patterns in both composition and abundance: whereas amoebozoans and non-tintinnid ciliates were dominant in themore polluted areas (sites IV and V), tintinnids dominated in the less polluted areas (sites, I, II and III). Several pollution indicators wererecorded: amoebozoans - <i>Centropyxis aculeata</i>, <i>Centropyxis</i> sp., <i>Cochliopodium</i> sp.,<i>Difflugia</i> sp.; non-tintinnids - <i>Bursaridium</i> sp., <i>Frontonia atra</i>,<i>Holophrya</i> sp., <i>Paramecium</i> sp., <i>Paramecium bursaria</i>,<i>Vasicola ciliata</i>, <i>Vorticella</i> sp., <i>Strombidium</i> sp.; tintinnids- <i>Favella ehrenbergii</i>, <i>Helicostomella subulata</i>, <i>Leprotintinnus nordgvisti</i>,<i>Tintinnopsis beroidea</i>, <i>Stenosemella ventricosa</i>, <i>Tintinnopsis campanula</i>,<i>T. cylindrica</i>, <i>T. lobiancoi</i>, <i>Eutintinnus lusus-undae</i>.
ISSN:0078-3234

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