Zooplankton dynamics and species distribution in a marine ecosystem: An analysis of Badagry Creek, Southwest Nigeria
Abstract
This study examined zooplankton abundance in anthropogenic hotspot environments in Badagry Creek, Southwest Nigeria, over a 24-month period from July 2017 to May 2019. Samples were collected from nine stations using plankton nets with mesh sizes ranging from 5 µm to 80 µm, preserved in Lugol’s iodine solution, and fixed in 10% formalin for enumeration under a compound microscope. The sampling stations were categorized into three zones—upper (domestic waste), middle (sand dredging), and lower (aquaculture)—based on their position in the flow direction and ongoing activities. A total of 30 zooplankton species from six phyla (Mollusca, Nematoda, Arthropoda, Annelida, Rotifera, and Protozoa) were identified, with notable species including Ctenodrius monostylos, Keratella spp., Brachionus falcatus, nauplius larvae, and Amoeba spp. Higher zooplankton biomass and diversity were observed in the upper and middle zones compared to the lower zone. Diversity indices across the three zones differed significantly (p < 0.05), while dominance was not significantly different. Species Abundance Distribution (SAD) analyses indicated uneven distributions and non-statistically significant spatial distributions of zooplankton phyla across the zones, suggesting environmental disturbance influencing abundance patterns. Rotifers emerged as the most abundant group, constituting 42.64% of the total abundance, while Mollusca and Protozoa had the lowest representation at 2.96% and 3.07%, respectively. Shannon diversity (H’) ranged from 0.93 in the lower zone to 1.37 in the middle zone, with Pielou’s evenness (E) and Simpson’s dominance (D) exhibiting their lowest values in the middle zone. SAD results confirmed uneven distribution across the zones for both Mollusca and Protozoa. This study highlights the impact of environmental stressors on the community composition of zooplankton species in Badagry Creek, emphasizing the need for ongoing monitoring and management of the ecosystem.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.18686/fsa2238
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