Spatial Variation of Summer Microphytoplankton Communities Related to Environmental Parameters in the Coastal Area of the El Bibane Lagoon (Tunisia, Eastern Mediterranean)

Abstract

The distribution of microphytoplankton in relation to environmental factors in the coastal waters of the El Bibane lagoon was studied during the summers of 2009 and 2010. Microphytoplankton abundance and species richness found in the El Bibane lagoon during the summer of 2009 do not markedly differ from those reported from the same environment in the summer of 2010. Microphytoplankton abundance was higher in the summer of 2010 (169.50 ± 60.77 × 102 cells l−1) than in the summer of 2009 (84.50 ± 74.24 × 102 cells l−1), but species richness was slightly higher in the summer of 2009 (28 taxa) than in the summer 2010 (27 taxa). Dinoflagellate was the most abundant microphytoplankton group present during the entire study period, comprising 77–83% of the total microphytlankton community during summer 2009 and 2010, respectively.