Monthly variations in density of attached algae on solid plates in two lentic and lotic localities from Basrah Province

Abstract EN

A comparative study was performed on the Shatt Al-Arab River as a running water environment and a fishpond as a stagnant locality to investigate the distribution and abundance of attached algae.

Samples were collected on monthly basis from November 2011 to October 2012.

Two stations were selected in the Shatt Al-Arab River and just one in the lentic environment as it represents a thoroughly mixed water.

Several ecological factors were analyzed and monthly variations were detected in all conditions, but a notable rise in water temperature and salinity was detected during the warmer period of year.

Percentage composition of algae was calculated in the three investigated stations.

Diatoms were dominant, followed by blue-green algae in the Shatt Al-Arab, but green algae in the pond.

Three main algal taxa were encountered namely, Cyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae and Bacillariophyceae.

The latter was represented by more species.