ABSTRACT
The use of any water body for aquaculture production is nexus to understanding its
water quality and
phytoplankton biomass, primary production surrogate. This study was undertaken to assess the
Phytoplankton status and water quality of Agbarha River in Delta State of Nigeria; over a period of
five weeks [March to May 2017] for its aquaculture potentials. The study revealed that fish farming
is feasible in the River. Study found quality and quantity acceptable phytoplanktonic food
(>3000 organisms/L) for fish farming. The plankton community was dominated by
chlorophyta with ten species accounting for 49% of the overall assemblage, bacilariophyta
had 9(nine) species constituting 41%, cyanophyta being five(5) species of 10% and dinophyta 2
species of 1% of the phytoplankton population. The mean results of the water quality
parameters were air temperature, ranged from 29 – 39°C, water temperature(25°C – 34°C), pH (7.15
– 10.78), Total solids (0.23mg/l – 0.6mg/l), dissolved oxygen (2.2mg/l – 6.9mg/l), biochemical
oxygen demand ranged from (0.1mg/l – 6.6mg/l), acidity ranged (14.0mg/l- 89.0mg/l), Alkalinity
ranged from (10.0mg/l - 41.0mg/l), transparency ranged (0.02 – 1.2), phosphate (7.2mg/l – 10.8mg/l)
and nitrate (0.005mg/l – 3.75mg/l). Most studied variables were aquaculture compliant and
identified impairments were anthropogenically driven and controllable via withdrawal.
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Keywords: |
Aquaculture, Phytoplankton assemblage, physicochemical parameters, Species diversity,
Agbarha
River
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