Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5758137 | Regional Studies in Marine Science | 2016 | 9 Pages |
Abstract
The present study, conducted in winter 2008 at 20 stations in the south coast of Sfax, covered the spatial distribution of the physic-chemical parameters (temperature, salinity, pH, orthophosphate, ammonium, nitrate and nitrite) and planktonic copepods. The orthophosphate and ammonium were higher than those reported for the near-shore of the Gulf of Gabès. Copepods were the most abundant zooplankton present during the entire study period, comprising 66% of the total zooplankton community. Four copepod orders were identified, with a high percentage of cyclopoida (64% of copepods) with the prevalence of Oithona nana followed by Harpacticoïda (24%) dominated by Euterpina acutifrons. The Shannon-Weaver diversity index values show that the study site is under the influence of pollution stress or eutrophication, human pressure and industrial activities. Thus, a combination of physicochemical and biological analysis is a good way to screen overall environmental circumstances.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Oceanography
Authors
Zohra Ben Salem, Habib Ayadi,