Assessment of Water Quality and Phytoplankton Structure of Eight Alexandria Beaches, Southeastern Mediterranean Sea, Egypt
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Area
2.2. Sampling and Laboratory Analysis
2.3. Water Quality Index (WQI)
2.4. Species Diversity Index
2.5. Pielou’s Evenness Index (J)
2.6. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Physicochemical Conditions
3.2. Phytoplankton Community Structure and Composition
3.3. Seasonal Variation of Phytoplankton
3.4. Correlation Analysis between Biotic and Abiotic Variables
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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No | Sampling Site | N | E |
---|---|---|---|
1 | El-Montaza | 31 17 21 | 30 00 42 |
2 | El-Mandra | 31 16 51 | 30 00 36 |
3 | El-Asafra | 31 16 25 | 30 00 01 |
4 | Miamy | 31 16 12 | 29 59 29 |
5 | Sidi Bisher | 31 15 45 | 29 59 03 |
6 | Al-saraya | 31 13 20 | 29 55 51 |
7 | El-Shatby | 31 12 38 | 29 54 29 |
8 | El-Anfoshy | 31 12 46 | 29 52 54 |
Beaches * | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Parameter | (Min–Max) | (Min–Max) | (Min–Max) | (Min–Max) | (Min–Max) | (Min–Max) | (Min–Max) | (Min–Max) |
Mean ± SD | Mean ± SD | Mean ± SD | Mean ± SD | Mean ± SD | Mean ± SD | Mean ± SD | Mean ± SD | |
Temperature (°C) | 18.6–27.0 | 18.6–27.0 | 18.7–27.1 | 18.7–27.3 | 18.7–27.2 | 18.8–27.2 | 18.8–27.2 | 18.8–27.3 |
23 ± 3.31 | 23.1 ± 3.25 | 23.2 ± 3.21 | 23.2 ± 3.28 | 23.2 ± 3.26 | 23.3 ± 3.29 | 23.3 ± 3.28 | 23.3 ± 3.3 | |
pH | 7.23–8.20 | 7.54 −8.20 | 7.67–8.30 | 7.45–8.54 | 7.42–8.34 | 7.26–8.32 | 7.43–8.34 | 7.38–8.44 |
7.88 ± 0.27 | 7.92 ± 0.17 | 7.94 ± 0.24 | 7.93 ± 0.25 | 7.98 ± 0.27 | 7.96 ± 0.28 | 7.97 ± 0.26 | 8.03 ± 0.32 | |
Salinity (ppt) | 34.80–38.8 | 33.4–38.2 | 33.60 −38.3 | 32.5–38.1 | 32.40–38.1 | 32.3–38.2 | 32.0–38.1 | 27.50–38.1 |
37.53 ± 1.00 | 35.43 ± 1.55 | 35.57 ± 1.54 | 35.27 ± 1.69 | 35.24 ± 1.69 | 35.06 ± 1.70 | 35.04 ± 1.75 | 34.31 ± 2.75 | |
DO (mg L−1) | 4.23–5.80 | 4.12–6.40 | 4.65–6.23 | 4.80–6.40 | 4.87–6.10 | 4.12–6.10 | 4.54–6.40 | 4.10–7.50 |
5.00 ± 0.62 | 5.60 ± 0.66 | 5.42 ± 0.45 | 5.49 ± 0.41 | 5.59 ± 0.36 | 5.42 ± 0.50 | 5.67 ± 0.48 | 6.39 ± 1.06 | |
NO2-N (µg L−1) | 0.01–0.93 | 0.01–0.95 | 0.04 −1.21 | 0.06–1.76 | 0.03–1.98 | 0.07–1.87 | 0.28–1.98 | 0.42–1.50 |
0.23 ± 0.29 | 0.26 ± 0.28 | 0.32 ± 0.34 | 0.49 ± 0.47 | 0.51 ± 0.52 | 0.61 ± 0.48 | 0.71 ± 0.45 | 0.74 ± 0.30 | |
NO3-N (µg L−1) | 2.36–9.04 | 1.54–10.54 | 1.98–10.65 | 2.65–16.76 | 3.43–19.76 | 3.54–33.21 | 2.65–23.76 | 3.54–13.78 |
3.84 ± 2.22 | 4.06 ± 2.52 | 4.23 ± 2.37 | 5.40 ± 3.78 | 6.05 ± 4.43 | 7.71 ± 8.17 | 7.79 ± 5.65 | 6.79 ± 2.59 | |
NH4 (µg L−1) | 0.12–7.55 | 0.04–6.34 | 0.23–5.87 | 0.23–7.34 | 0.04–7.54 | 0.10–7.39 | 0.04–9.45 | 0.26–7.98 |
2.48 ± 2.85 | 2.19 ± 2.31 | 2.51 ± 2.28 | 2.74 ± 2.92 | 2.89 ± 2.89 | 2.70 ± 2.75 | 3.54 ± 3.82 | 3.23 ± 3.13 | |
PO4-P (µg L−1) | 0.02–0.34 | 0.01–0.07 | 0.03–0.45 | 0.02–0.93 | 0.02–0.72 | 0.03–1.05 | 0.03–1.54 | 0.02–1.05 |
0.09 ± 0.09 | 0.02 ± 0.02 | 0.15 ± 0.16 | 0.28 ± 0.40 | 0.20 ± 0.23 | 0.30 ± 0.34 | 0.42 ± 0.54 | 0.29 ± 0.37 | |
SiO2 (µg L−1) | 9.08–29.53 | 5.91–25.21 | 6.98–16.09 | 0.67–23.41 | 6.14–22.05 | 4.05–23.12 | 3.98–25.67 | 3.57–25.70 |
16.29 ± 6.03 | 14.23 ± 6.48 | 11.04 ± 3.37 | 11.58 ± 5.88 | 14.19 ± 4.88 | 14.25 ± 6.38 | 15.28 ± 5.69 | 13.86 ± 7.21 | |
Chl-a (µg L−1) | 0.16–4.74 | 0.12–4.65 | 0.22–4.60 | 0.12 −12.31 | 0.47–5.65 | 0.16–4.12 | 0.13–5.73 | 0.18–5.23 |
1.57 ± 1.33 | 2.16 ± 1.34 | 2.37 ± 1.41 | 3.19 ± 3.34 | 2.64 ± 1.59 | 2.52 ± 1.41 | 2.76 ± 1.76 | 2.59 ± 1.59 | |
WQI | 66–90 | 82–92 | 75–90 | 70–89 | 69–89 | 69–86 | 64–90 | 68–91 |
82.65 ± 6.87 | 86.52 ± 2.53 | 83.03 ± 4.73 | 80.66 ± 5.12 | 81.19 ± 6.09 | 78.68 ± 5.83 | 79.30 ± 8.76 | 80.53 ± 7.81 |
Class | Richness (Number of Taxa) |
---|---|
Bacillariophyceae | 136 |
Dinoflagellates | 36 |
Chlorophyceae | 28 |
Cyanophyceae | 19 |
Euglenophyta | 6 |
Rhodophyta | 1 |
Raphidophyceae | 1 |
Silicoflagellates | 1 |
Total phytoplankton richness | 228 |
Beach 1 * | % | Beach 2 | % | Beach 3 | % | Beach 4 | % |
Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima | 12.27 | Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima | 15.44 | Skeletonema costatum | 23.30 | Chlorella marina | 44.44 |
Skeletonema costatum | 11.13 | Skeletonema costatum | 11.16 | Leptocylindrus danicus | 14.47 | Skeletonema costatum | 19.25 |
Navicula tripunctata | 11.10 | Akashiwo sanguinea | 5.12 | Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima | 12.89 | Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima | 5.78 |
Prorocentrum triestinum | 10.31 | Cyclotella kützingiana | 5.06 | Chlorella marina | 7.97 | Karenia mikimotoi | 3.67 |
Cyclotella kützingiana | 7.84 | Cyclotella comta | 4.60 | Thalassiosira decipiens | 3.89 | Protoperidinium conicum | 2.82 |
Cyclotella comta | 7.53 | Prorocentrum triestinum | 3.82 | Cyclotella kützingiana | 3.00 | Chaetoceros constrictus | 2.28 |
Licmophora ehrenbergii | 4.45 | Navicula tripunctata | 3.59 | Cyclotella comta | 2.66 | Thalassiosira decipiens | 2.19 |
Crucigenia rectangularis | 3.55 | Chlorella marina | 2.97 | Prorocentrum triestinum | 2.59 | Cyclotella kützingiana | 1.90 |
Prorocentrum micans | 3.42 | Crucigenia rectangularis | 2.96 | Chaetoceros decipiens | 2.02 | Cyclotella comta | 1.77 |
Leptocylindrus danicus | 2.84 | Nitzschia longissima | 2.16 | Navicula tripunctata | 1.95 | Eutreptiella braarudii | 1.62 |
Beach 5 | % | Beach 6 | % | Beach 7 | % | Beach 8 | % |
Chlorella marina | 29.72 | Chlorella marina | 38.06 | Chlorella marina | 79.03 | Chlorella marina | 1.62 |
Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima | 10.94 | Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima | 13.08 | Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima | 7.33 | Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima | 58.67 |
Skeletonema costatum | 9.68 | Skeletonema costatum | 10.28 | Eutreptiella braarudii | 1.52 | Eutreptiella braarudii | 5.95 |
Thalassiosira decipiens | 6.77 | Cyclotella kützingiana | 5.20 | Skeletonema costatum | 1,21 | Karenia mikimotoi | 5.33 |
Leptocylindrus danicus | 5.28 | Leptocylindrus danicus | 4.64 | Protoperidinium pellucidum | 1.07 | Skeletonema costatum | 4.67 |
Karenia mikimotoi | 3.91 | Gonyaulax spinifera | 3.67 | Chaetoceros constrictus | 0.89 | Cyclotella kützingiana | 4.47 |
Chaetoceros constrictus | 3.67 | Nitzschia longissima | 2.29 | Cyclotella kützingiana | 0.76 | Leptocylindrus danicus | 3.22 |
Cyclotella comta | 3.47 | Protoperidinium cerasus | 1.89 | Exuviaella marina | 0.76 | Euglena granulata | 2.60 |
Prorocentrum triestinum | 2.43 | Prorocentrum triestinum | 1.84 | Leptocylindrus danicus | 0.74 | Prorocentrum lima | 1.39 |
Protoperidinium cerasus | 2.33 | Gyrodinium spirale | 1.45 | Pseudo-nitzschia seriata | 0.36 | Eutreptiella gymnastica | 1.28 |
Nutrients Salts | Alexandria Beaches | Matrouh Beaches | Touristic Village Marakia |
---|---|---|---|
Present Study | Gharib et al. [41] | Shams El-Din and Abdel Halim [12] | |
Phosphate | 0.01–1.54 | 0.01–7.30 | 0.00–2.50 |
Silicate | 0.67–29.53 | 0.20–4.49 | 0.11–3.08 |
Nitrate | 1.54–33.21 | 0.13–5.10 | 0.10–4.01 |
Nitrite | 0.01–1.98 | 0.01–0.30 | 0.00–0.30 |
Ammonia | 0.04–9.45 | 0.18–16.83 | 0.14–24.25 |
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Alprol, A.E.; Ashour, M.; Mansour, A.T.; Alzahrani, O.M.; Mahmoud, S.F.; Gharib, S.M. Assessment of Water Quality and Phytoplankton Structure of Eight Alexandria Beaches, Southeastern Mediterranean Sea, Egypt. J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9, 1328. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9121328
Alprol AE, Ashour M, Mansour AT, Alzahrani OM, Mahmoud SF, Gharib SM. Assessment of Water Quality and Phytoplankton Structure of Eight Alexandria Beaches, Southeastern Mediterranean Sea, Egypt. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 2021; 9(12):1328. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9121328
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlprol, Ahmed E., Mohamed Ashour, Abdallah Tageldein Mansour, Othman M. Alzahrani, Samy F. Mahmoud, and Samiha M. Gharib. 2021. "Assessment of Water Quality and Phytoplankton Structure of Eight Alexandria Beaches, Southeastern Mediterranean Sea, Egypt" Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 9, no. 12: 1328. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9121328