Distribution of the plankton assemblages during the winter and summer along the southern coast of the Kerkennah Islands (Tunisia,Eastern Mediterranean Sea) |
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| Authors: | Amira Rekik Habib Ayadi Jannet Elloumi |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Sciences of Life, Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, University of Sfax, Research Unity UR/11ES72 Biodiversity and Aquatic Ecosystem, Sfax, Tunisia |
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| Abstract: | We studied the distribution of microphytoplankton, ciliates and mesozooplankton in relation to environmental factors in the coastal waters around the Kerkennah Islands. Diatom species were more abundant in winter, representing 74% of the total microphytoplankton abundance, whereas dinoflagellate abundance was higher in summer (58%). Naked ciliates dominated during the winter (73%) and loricate ciliates dominated during the summer (67%). Copepods were the most abundant mesozooplankton group present during the entire period of study, comprising 93%–98% of the total mesozooplankton community. The results indicate that (i) species distribution differed significantly between winter and summer, (ii) environmental factors such as temperature, salinity and nutrients influenced plankton assemblages; and (iii) the highest abundance of several pollution indicator species was due to direct exposure to the polluted coast of Sfax and the effect of tidal asymmetries generating nutrient‐rich inputs from the city. |
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| Keywords: | ciliates Kerkennah Islands coast mesozooplankton microphytoplankton physico‐chemical parameters |
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