Studies on Zooplankton Community and Physicochemical Parameters of Cross River Estuary, South-South, Nigeria

The zooplankton community and some physicochemical parameters were studied for six (6) months in the Cross-River estuary to determine their abundance. To achieve this, Water samples for physicochemical parameters were collected monthly from three stations within the study area using twenty liters (20 L) plastic bucket, filtered through 55µm plankton net, preserved in four percent (4%) formaldehyde and were stained with 3 mL Lugol’s iodine in the laboratory prior to analysis. The samples were analyzed microscopically following standard scientific procedures. Data obtained from this study was analyzed using Analysis of variance (ANOVA) descriptive statistics and regression analysis. Total of 5,303 individuals made up 17 species belonging to 3 families was recorded. Rotifers had the highest species composition of 41.06%, followed by Copepods and Ciliates with 29.41% and 23.53% respectively. There was no significant relationship (P<0.05) in zooplankton composition across the stations and between seasons. Significant positive relationship occurred between the zooplankton abundance and temperature (r = 0.619), DO (r = 0.572), salinity (r = 0.481), Silicate (r = 0.462) and ammonium (r = 0.475). For a proper management of our water bodies, further studies on the relationships between the zooplankton community and the environmental factors is required.