Ecological responses of macroalgae vegetation to seasonal variations and environmental changes in the Suez Canal District

Nourhan Ahmed Ashour *, Nehal Abdel-Hamid Kamel Osman, Waleed Elkazzaz and Gihan Ahmed El-Shoubaky

Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt.
 
Research Article
International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 2022, 06(01), 001–014.
Article DOI: 10.30574/ijsra.2022.6.1.0094
Publication history: 
Received on 21 March 2022; revised on 25 April 2022; accepted on 27 April 2022
 
Abstract: 
The noticeable lack in macroalgae number and their vegetation composition in the Suez Canal district may refer to the importance of studying and following the temporal and spatial patterns that are in change in space and time. Therefore, we have to follow regular biodiversity monitoring to elucidate the changes to seaweed vegetation in the Suez Canal area that might occur as seasonal variations or anthropogenic impacts. The present study extended from summer 2020 to spring 2021 along the Suez Canal district, including eight sites at Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea, Timsah Lake in Ismailia and Suez Bay in the Red Sea. Distribution of seaweeds is usually affected by environmental factors as temperature, salinity, pH, and water chemistry. Most of the chemical parameters recorded very high concentrations (high significant) at the sites in the Suez Bay area during all seasons, excluding nitrogen and phosphorus, which were elevated recordings in the Port Said area. El-Timsah Lake area recorded an increase in salinity which was considered as a brackish stratification type. The taxonomic groups of the recorded species showed a total of 39 macroalgal taxa (20 Chlorophyta, 16 Rhodophyta and 3 Phaeophyta). Port Said area recorded the highest significant number of Chlorophyta and Rhodophyta communities. The relative abundance of macroalgal divisions was Chlorophyta, which formed the main coverage. Enteromorpha-Ulva community was characterized during all the study seasons. Multivariate analysis showed the great relation between seaweed distribution, physicochemical parameters and seasonal variations.
 
Keywords: 
El-Timsah Lake; Port-Said area; Seasonal variation; Seaweeds vegetation; Suez Bay area
 
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