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Multivariate analysis of plankton variability and water pollution in two highly dynamic sites, southeastern Mediterranean (Egyptian coast)

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Abstract

El-Mex Bay and Nubaria are two huge coastal embayments located west of Alexandria, Egypt. The bay is a popular fishing spot as well as a recreational location. It is one of the most extensively polluted locations on the Egyptian Mediterranean coast, receiving a massive amount of agricultural, industrial, and sewage waste from the nearby Lake Mariut via the El-Umoum and Nubaria Drains. The current study evaluated the geographical variations of plankton and water quality in the western side of Alexandria, namely Nubaria and El-Mex sites, using multivariate statistical analysis for eight sites seasonally during 2018. The samples were examined extensively for species identification and abundance measurement. The water is very alkaline and well-oxygenated in the summer. The results showed that the annual average of phytoplankton in Naubaria site was 577 ± 496 × 103 cells l−1, while the annual average of zooplankton was 54.1 ± 50.0 × 103 ind m−3. A total of 122 and 91 phytoplankton species were quantified from El-Mex and Naubaria sites, respectively. However, 96 and 98 zooplankton species were identified in El-Mex and Naubaria site, respectively. The most differentiating factor between two sites and between various locations were salinity. The multiple correlations, redundancy analysis (RDA), regression analysis, and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were performed, and both indicated that the water temperature, salinity, and SiO4 were the main limiting factors for the abundance of most plankton communities. Also, some plankton groups acted as stimulants or inhibitors for the flourishing of other groups. The correlations between both phytoplankton and zooplankton in terms of abundance, temperature, and salinity were dismantled due to the evolution of plenty of euryhaline and eurythermal species adapting to these hard conditions. Also, water quality index (WQI) values indicate that the water of studied locations was heavily polluted. So, periodical monitoring for these areas, treatment of wastes before being discharged in marine water, and using new technologies for tracking pollutants are highly recommended. Monitoring programmes for phytoplankton and zooplankton ecology as a bioindicator for pollution were highly recommended in the study. In addition, this study suggests the usefulness of multivariate statistical methods in the analysis of water quality and recommendations for environmental recovery and restoration are proposed for preservation of El-Mex Bay and Naubaria sites in order to facilitate development of environmental and tourist activities.

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The datasets generated during and/or analysed through the current study are available from all authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, NIOF, Cairo, Egypt

    Ahmed M. Heneash, Ahmed E. Alprol, Samiha M. Gharib, Shimaa Hosny, Muhammad A. El-Alfy & Hazem T. Abd El-Hamid

  2. Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

    Hussein A. El-Naggar

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  1. Ahmed M. Heneash
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  2. Ahmed E. Alprol
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  3. Hussein A. El-Naggar
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  4. Samiha M. Gharib
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Correspondence to Ahmed E. Alprol.

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Heneash, A.M., Alprol, A.E., El-Naggar, H.A. et al. Multivariate analysis of plankton variability and water pollution in two highly dynamic sites, southeastern Mediterranean (Egyptian coast). Arab J Geosci 15, 330 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-09595-1

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