EXCHANGE OF WATER AND ZOOPLANKTON ORGANISMS BETWEEN LAKE MANZALAH AND MEDITERRANEAN SEA THROUGH BOUGHAZ EL-GAMIL
MAHER ABDELAZIZ AAMER AMER;
Abstract
The present study represents the most comprehensive study so far made on the process of exchange of water and zooplankton organisms between Lake Manzalah and Mediterranean Sea through the artificial openings during the period from June 1995 to June 1996. Such study is highly important in order to trace and evaluate the fundamental changes that has taken place in Lake Manzalah after the construction of new Boughaz El-Gamil and dredging of El-Salam Canal. The study area covers the eastern part of Lake Manzalah except the southern part (El-Ginka area) besides the artificial lake-sea channels and the coastal marine area off that portion of the lake.
Twelve stations were selected in the area of investigation to study the physico chemical parameters (e.g. water temperature, salinity, transparency, pH, dissolved oxygen and nutrients salts), phytoplankton biomass and the composition and distribution of zooplankton. Another eighteen stations distributed in the lake, lake-sea channels and the coastal marine area were selected to evaluate and trace the process of water exchange between the lake and the sea by measuring the salinity and water temperature.
Lake Manzalah is located in the northern comer of the Delta between Damietta Nile branch and the Suez Canal. Although the lake is still considered the largest of the Egyptian Delta lakes, its area has been gradually decreasing since the earliest decades of the present century. In 1900 its area was 1709km2; while its present area was measured by land sat imagery in 1993 was 1021 km2 . Due to the presence oflarge number of islets in the lake, the area of the open water is only 742.8 km2. The lake is shallow with an average depth of80cm.
Lake Manzalah has been known as the most productive fishery ground of the Delta lakes. The annual fish catch during 1995 was 59, 193 tones. It is also considered a main mullet fishery in Egypt, its total mullet catch during 1995 representing about 30% of the total mullet catch in Egypt.
Due to the shallowness of the lake and the pronounced effect of wind, variations in water temperature follow more or less that of the air. The maximum surface water
temperature was recorded in August (28.5°C) and the minimum in January (IO.l•C). The
annual amplitude being 18.4°C and the annual average 22.1•c. Also in the coastal marine
Twelve stations were selected in the area of investigation to study the physico chemical parameters (e.g. water temperature, salinity, transparency, pH, dissolved oxygen and nutrients salts), phytoplankton biomass and the composition and distribution of zooplankton. Another eighteen stations distributed in the lake, lake-sea channels and the coastal marine area were selected to evaluate and trace the process of water exchange between the lake and the sea by measuring the salinity and water temperature.
Lake Manzalah is located in the northern comer of the Delta between Damietta Nile branch and the Suez Canal. Although the lake is still considered the largest of the Egyptian Delta lakes, its area has been gradually decreasing since the earliest decades of the present century. In 1900 its area was 1709km2; while its present area was measured by land sat imagery in 1993 was 1021 km2 . Due to the presence oflarge number of islets in the lake, the area of the open water is only 742.8 km2. The lake is shallow with an average depth of80cm.
Lake Manzalah has been known as the most productive fishery ground of the Delta lakes. The annual fish catch during 1995 was 59, 193 tones. It is also considered a main mullet fishery in Egypt, its total mullet catch during 1995 representing about 30% of the total mullet catch in Egypt.
Due to the shallowness of the lake and the pronounced effect of wind, variations in water temperature follow more or less that of the air. The maximum surface water
temperature was recorded in August (28.5°C) and the minimum in January (IO.l•C). The
annual amplitude being 18.4°C and the annual average 22.1•c. Also in the coastal marine
Other data
| Title | EXCHANGE OF WATER AND ZOOPLANKTON ORGANISMS BETWEEN LAKE MANZALAH AND MEDITERRANEAN SEA THROUGH BOUGHAZ EL-GAMIL | Other Titles | تبادل المياه والهائمات الحيوانية بين بحيرة المنزلة والبحر المتوسط من خلال بوغاز الجميل | Authors | MAHER ABDELAZIZ AAMER AMER | Issue Date | 1999 |
Recommend this item
Similar Items from Core Recommender Database
Items in Ain Shams Scholar are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.