Benthic macroinvertebrate community and chlorophyll a (chl-a) concentration in sediment of three polluted sites in the Lagos Lagoon, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper reports the benthic macroinvertebrate community and chlorophyll a (chl-a) concentration in sediment of three polluted sites in the Lagos Lagoon, Nigeria. Values observed for DO ranged between 3.0 and 4.5 mg/L, while transparency varied from 3 cm to 32 cm. Turbidity ranged between 28 and 80 NTU and depth of the study stations fluctuated between 196.16 and 317.5 cm. Two major macroinvertebrate groups (Annelida and Mollusca) made up of eight species were identified from a total density of 7820 ind/m². Mollusca were the most abundant group with a density of 7800 ind/m² and accounted for 99.7 % of the total macroinvertebrate density. Density of benthic macroinvertebrate varied among the study stations, while the variations observed in the values ofchl-a in sediment were mainly in relation to sampling periods. Transparency of water correlated positively and significantly with chl-a in sediment (rs= 1; p< 0.01) while turbidity and depth of water related negatively and significantly with chl-a in sediment. Results obtained in this study suggest that pollution in the three study sites impacted negatively on the benthic community.

Key Words: Chl-a, benthic macroinvertebrate, pollution, estuarine ecosystem