The Taxonomical And Ecological Studies Of Phytoplankton And Benthic Microalgae In Teluk Bahang, Penang
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Date
2020-04
Authors
Javeed, Aysha Mariam Mohamed
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
Variations in the composition of waters and sediment play an important role in
regulating the temporal distribution and abundance of phytoplankton and benthic
microalgae. This study examined the taxonomic composition, and study the temporal
variability of benthic microalgae and phytoplankton in relation to water quality and
environmental parameters. The sample collections were carried out monthly during
low tide along the intertidal zone at Teluk Bahang, Penang for 18 months. A total of
11 in situ measurements were studied such as physical variables (salinity,
temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen), chlorophyll a biomass (water and sediment),
pore and surface water nutrients (NO2
-, NO3
-, NH3, PO4
3-, and SiO2). In this study, a
total of 59 species were found in benthic (station A and B) and subtidal area (station
C) of Teluk Bahang. Benthic microalgae species at two benthic stations (Station A and
B) were dominated by Baccillariophyta (100 %) and phytoplankton species (Station
C) were dominated by Baccillariophyta (87.76%) and Dinophyta (12.24 %). Station A
and B were dominated by same species of diatom which is Navicula menisculus and
in Station C, Bellerochea horologicalis dominated the subtidal area. The species
Navicula menisculus had the highest percentage of the overall diatom species
composition in both station A during dry months (13.9%) and in station B (30.6%)
during wet months. While in station C, the dominant species Bellerochea
horologicalis had the highest percentage of the overall phytoplankton species
composition (61.1%) during dry months. During this eighteen months of period of this study, temporal variations of the benthic microalgae and phytoplankton species exist
between the dominant species. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) have been
used to identify the relationships between the dominant species of phytoplankton and
benthic microalgae with environmental variables. CCA revealed that environmental
parameters does not have strong effect on transition of dominant species of benthic
microalgae in all stations (station A, B, and C). This result is proved using linear
regression where effect between Navicula menisculus transition and silica in station A
is low (r2=0.379). Transition of Navicula menisculus in station B also was not strongly
affected by ammonia (r2 = 0.203). In station C, distribution of Bellerochae
horologicalis was not strongly effected by phosphate (r2 = 0.380). This study suggest
that the temporal variation of benthic microalgae and phytoplankton was not strongly
influenced by environmental parameters.