Ecological factors affecting the distribution of zooplankton community in the Massa Lagoon (Southern Morocco)

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.