The Pearson correlation coefficient at a confidence limit of 95% was applied using learn more SPSS 13.0 to study the relation between zooplankton distribution and the environmental variables. The species richness, Shannon-Weaver index H’ and evenness J’ ( Pielou 1966) as well as the Bray-Curtis Similarity Index were computed using the software packages PRIMER program V 5.1. These parameters were calculated for each site by pooling data from the sample replicates. Prior to analysis,

data were subjected to logarithmic transformation in order to achieve the appropriate parametric analysis requirements ( Zar 1984). Species richness was expressed by considering the number of species D: equation(1) D=(S−1)/lnN,D=(S−1)/lnN,where D – Margalef’s index (richness), Species diversity and homogeneity were determined using the Shannon- Weaver diversity index H’   and the evenness index J’   ( Pielou 1966) from the following equations: equation(2) H′=−∑iPi(lnPi),where Pi   – the ratio of the total number of individuals of particular species n   to the total number of individuals S  , that is Pi   = nj  /S  . equation(3) J′=H′(observed)/HMax′,where HMax′ – the

maximum possible diversity that would be achieved if all species had the same abundance = (lnS), and S – total number of individuals of particular species. The measured physicochemical parameters were published by Madkour et al. (2006). The average values of these parameters and selleck chemicals llc of the chlorophyll a concentration throughout the lake are given in Table 1. Variation in salinity appeared to be the key factor to all changes in the lake’s water quality.

The lowest surface salinity (average: 1.5 PSU) was recorded in the western lagoon. This salinity increased gradually eastwards, fluctuating between 12 and 37.8 PSU. The lake is considered a low transparent water body: the average Secchi disc reading ranged from 0.38 to 1.91 m at sites 10 and 2 respectively. The concentrations of both nutrient salts and chlorophyll a were the highest in the western lagoon and decreased gradually eastwards, coinciding with the increase in salinity, reaching the lowest O-methylated flavonoid values in the shipping lane ( Table 1). The ranges of the annual nutrient salt averages were 0.7–4.9 μM, 5.1–36.5 μM, 0.1–0.8 μM, 3.4–29.9 μM for phosphate, nitrate, nitrite and silicate respectively. In total, 34 species were identified (in addition to the larval stages of different groups) from Lake Timsah. Most of them were copepods (21 species), rotifers (6 species) and cladocerans (5 species); urochordates and chaetognaths were represented only by one species each. Other groups (polychaetes, molluscs, decapods, echinoderms and urochordates) were represented by their larval stages. The lowest number of species was recorded in the western lagoon during all seasons (average: 14 taxa including larval stages). On the other hand, the shipping lane sites sustained the highest number of species (29 taxa) at site 1 (Figure 2).