Effect of Environmental Conditions on Biodiversity of Benthic Fauna Inhabiting El-Max Bay, Mediterranean Sea, Alexandria, Egypt | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries | ||||
| Article 46, Volume 27, Issue 5, September and October 2023, Page 781-801 PDF (1.09 MB) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2023.322908 | ||||
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| Author | ||||
| Muhammad A. El-Fergany et al. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| The present study explored the impact of water physical parameters, nutrients and heavy metals on the abundance and diversity of macro-benthic invertebrate communities at El-Max Bay, Alexandria, Egypt. Water physical parameters were recorded at the bay, whereas water samples were collected and analyzed for various chemical parameters, such as nutrients and heavy metal concentrations. Macro-invertebrates were also collected and identified. Subsequently, abundance and diversity were estimated. The results revealed that the abundance of benthic invertebrates showed a positive correlation with water temperature, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, alkalinity, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, cadmium, copper, lead, iron and zinc. In contrast, benthic invertebrate abundance was negatively correlated with pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, transparency and phosphates. The diversity of benthic invertebrates, on the other hand, was positively correlated with water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, electrical conductivity, alkalinity, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, cadmium, copper, lead, iron, and zinc. In addition, it was negatively correlated with total dissolved solids, transparency and phosphates. These findings suggest that the anthropogenic activities that led to increasing nutrients and heavy metal pollution in El-Max Bay had negative impacts on the health and diversity of the macro-benthic communities, which could have implications for the wider marine ecosystem. Therefore, measures should be taken to reduce nutrient and heavy metal pollution in the bay to protect the macro-benthic community and the marine ecosystem. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Physical parameters; Water nutrients; Heavy metals; Macro-benthic invertebrates; El-Max Bay; Alexandria; Egypt | ||||
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