ISSN 2756-3367
African Journal of Ecology and Ecosystems ISSN: 9428-167X Vol. 5 (2), pp. 001-012, February, 2018. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Ecological factors affecting the distribution of zooplankton community in the Massa Lagoon (Southern Morocco)
H. Badsi1*, H. Oulad Ali1, M. Loudiki2, M. El Hafa1 and R. Chakli1 and A. Aamiri1
1Laboratory of Oceanography and Limnology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Zohr University, P. O. Box 8106, Agadir 80060, Morocco.
2Laboratory of Biology and Biotechnology of Microorganisms, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Semlalia Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco.
Accepted 11 December, 2017
Abstract
In this study, the zooplankton structure and the water quality of Massa Lagoon were investigated. Samples were collected biweekly at the three stations for 6 months from winter to summer 2008. Results show that the state of the lagoon is a hyper-eutrophic environment, characterized by high levels of chlorophyll-a and nitrogen. Pollution-tolerant zooplankton such as Brachionus was the dominant species in the lagoon. A total of 61 taxa were recorded, including 35 rotifers, 13 copepods, 5 ostracods, 6 protozoa and 6 cladocera. Salinity and nutrients in the water were the main environmental factors that affected the distribution of the zooplankton species.
Key words: Massa Lagoon, zooplankton, environmental factors.