The effect of heavy metal pollution on seasonal abundance of copepods inhabiting mangrove area at the Red Sea was studied. Planktonic copepods were sampled seasonally from two sites at the coastal area of the Red Sea. The first site was the mangrove area containing mangal trees at 17km South of Safaga. The second site was the marine biological station at Hurghada that was selected as a control site. Some ecological and physico-chemical parameters were measured at the two sampling sites including pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, air and water temperature, and turbidity. Also, the water concentration of zinc, cadmium, lead, copper, cobalt, nickel, strontium, lithium and chlorophyll-a was determined. Regression analysis and MANOVA statistical analysis were conducted to determine the effective ecological parameters on zooplankton distribution. Twenty-six species belonging to 17 genera of different copepod groups in addition to nauplius larvae and copepodite stages were identified from surface water of the two selected sites. Variable change in copepod density was pronounced in both sites. Significant regression relationship was found between copepod abundance and air temperature and dissolved oxygen (R=0.8, P
Key words: copepods, abundance, Hurghada, Safaga, mangrove, ecological factors, heavy metals.
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