Impacts of the construction of the Port of Suape on phytoplankton in the Ipojuca River estuary (Pernambuco-Brazil)

Abstract

In order to address the impact on phytoplankton, sampling was conducted monthly at 4 fixed stations, from April/86 to March/87 at diurnal low and high tide using a plankton net (65 mum mesh size) and a 1 L Van Dorn bottle. Among the 133 taxa identified, marine littoral euryhaline species were most common, outranking Gyrosigma balticum (Ehrenberg) Rabenhorst, Nitzschia sigma (Kützing) Wm. Smith, Licmophora abbreviata Agardh, Climacosphenia moniligera Ehrenberg, Surirella febigerii Lewis, Terpsinoe musica Ehrenberg and Cylindrotheca closterium (Ehrenberg) Reiman and Lewis. The port construction caused significant changes to the phytoplankton community with a strong influence of marine species (mainly dinoflagellate) because of the opening of the reef near the river mouth in 1983. The shallow depth and hydrodynamic brought many littoral species to the water columm. The community was composed by marine euryhaline and limnetic organisms, influenced by the salinity, rain and tide. Species diversity was high (> 3 bits.cel-1) owing to the high environmental heterogeneity (marine, freshwater and benthic interactions). After the port implantation, a strong decrease occurred in phytoplankton density owing to high loads of suspended matter. Lowest values (121,00 cells.l-1) were registered during rainy season. During dry season, when light intensity was higher, phytoplankton presented highest density ( 1,789,000 cells.l-1).

Effect of coastline properties and wastewater on plankton composition and distribution in a stressed environment on the north coast of Olinda-PE (Brazil)

“…The influence of the Paratibe river and several domestic sewage outfalls and the low water circulation due to the presence of coastal protection structures were the principals responsible by the stressed environment condition on the north coast of Olinda. Similar results have been found by Eskinazi et al (1997) and Koening et al (2003) near Recife and Suape harbors, respectively, under the influence of similar environmental conditions (freshwater and sewage outfalls) and by Koening and Eskinazi (1991) and Moura (1992) in other coastal zones along Pernambuco coast.…”

“…In contrast, large variations in diversity, biomass and productivity of the planktonic communities have been observed in stressed environments (e.g. Ottman et al, 1965/66;Eskinazi et al, 1997;Webber and Webber, 1998;Linton and Warner 2003;Koening et al 2003). …”

Phytoplankton dynamics in a highly eutrophic estuary in tropical Brazil

“…However, diatoms were the dominant phytoplankton group and some high density species (Helicotheca tamesis, Coscinodiscus centralis, Coscinodiscus kutzingii) were often responsible for the low diversity index. This group of species is predominant in other tropical estuaries under marine influence, probably due to their euryhaline characteristics (ESKINAZI-LEÇA et al, 2000;KOENING et al, 2003;LACERDA et al, 2004;MELO-MAGALHÃES;SANT'ANNA, 2004;ROSEVEL DA SILVA et al, 2005;GAMEIRO et al, 2007).…”

Evaluation of sugar-cane bagasse as bioadsorbent in the textile wastewater treatment contaminated with carcinogenic congo red dye

“…The domestic, agriculture and industrial wastes significantly contribute to the pollution process (Koening et al, 2003;Pedrozo and Rocha, 2007), but the textile, chemical and paper industries, and oil refineries generate huge volume of wastes (Guaratini et al, 2000;Thompson et al, 2001;Wake, 2005). The effluents generated by the textile industries have high pollutant potential due to dyes consumption in the tinting stage and the consumption of additives (fixers, anti-foaming and anti-fungi) during the pre-tinting and storage stages.…”