Marine Protozoa composition, distribution and abundant species at Egyptian Coast of the Mediterranean Sea

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The Mediterranean Sea receives several kinds of untreated pollution resulting from intensive human activities which affect zooplankton distribution along the sea. For this reason, the present work aimed to study the spatial and temporal distribution of zooplankton communities along the Egyptian coast of the Mediterranean Sea, with some lights shed on their diversity and abundance. To achieve this target, four seasonal cruises were carried out at three stations along the study site. The area's environmental parameters and protozoan community were seasonally addressed in 2020. A total of 94 protozoan species were identified, belonging to Foraminifera (57 species), tintinnids (33 species) and Amoebozoa (4 species). The numerical density of protozoans was high over the whole area, with annual averages of 11458 Individuals/m3. Summer and autumn were the most productive seasons for protozoans, while spring was the lowest. The recorded values of physicochemical parameters including transparency (0.9-2 m), temperature (19.2-33.9 oC), depth (4-6 m), salinity (30-45 ‰), water pH (6.8-8.6) and dissolved oxygen (2.15-7 mg/l) fluctuated throughout studied seasons.

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