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Plankton assemblages in a tropical West African estuary

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Abstract

The taxonomic composition, abundance, diversity and spatial distribution of phytoplankton and zooplankton, as well as the prevailing hydrographic conditions, were examined in the Whin Estuary, which is considered one of the most pristine and productive coastal ecosystems of Ghana, which is located on the Gulf of Guinea. Hydrographic and plankton variables were determined along the gradient of the estuary between March and July 2022 across two seasons and tidal periods. A total of 50 genera of phytoplankton and 27 genera of zooplankton were recorded across the two seasons and sampling periods. Diatoms and copepods dominated the plankton communities across the estuary. Plankton genera such as Navicula, Nitzschia, Thalassiosira, Cyclops, Paracalanus and Temora were recorded across all the seasons and tidal periods, despite the varying hydrographic conditions. The environmental variables varied across the seasons, tidal periods and sampling stations in the estuary. For instance, temperature, DO, transparency, and chlorophyll a varied significantly (p < 0.05) across both the seasons and tidal periods. pH values were significantly (p < 0.05) lower in the rainy season compared to the dry season. There was a strong salinity gradient across the estuary, with the upper reaches dominated by freshwater organisms, such as cladocerans and cyanobacteria, and the lower reaches by marine organisms, primarily diatoms and copepods. In sum, the results reported here are important as they highlight the distribution of plankton communities in a tropical estuarine ecosystem and can serve as a reference for the management of tropical brackish ecosystems.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECoR), Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Ghana and the National Commission for Science, Technology, and Innovation (NACOSTI) for their technical and financial support of this project. The authors would also like to thank Albert Koomson, Docia Agyapong and Emmanuel Klubi for their invaluable contributions to the field sampling and plankton identification.

Funding

This work was funded by the World Bank through ACECoR (credit no. 6389-GH), the Tonolli Memorial Fund of the International Society for Limnology (SIL) and the Danish International Development Agency through the HOTSPOTS 2 project, (39889).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana

    Rael Adhiambo, Paul Kojo Mensah, Emmanuel Acheampong & Eric Appiah Krampah

  2. Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECoR), University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana

    Rael Adhiambo, Emmanuel Acheampong & Eric Appiah Krampah

  3. National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation, Nairobi, Kenya

    Rael Adhiambo

  4. Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa

    Paul Kojo Mensah

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  4. Eric Appiah Krampah
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Contributions

The study was conceptualized by RA, PKM, and EA. Data collection and analysis were undertaken by RA and EAK. The manuscript draft was prepared by RA. The manuscript was critically revised by PKM and EA.

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Correspondence to Rael Adhiambo.

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Adhiambo, R., Mensah, P.K., Acheampong, E. et al. Plankton assemblages in a tropical West African estuary. Aquat Sci 86, 70 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-024-01085-8

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