Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

Poor water quality as a trigger of harmful algal blooms in Lake Manzala

Mohammed A. Hussein, Department of Aquaculture Diseases Control, Fish Farming and Technology Institute, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
Alaa Eldin Eissa, Department of Aquatic Animal Medicine and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 12211 EgyptFollow
Reham M. Eltarabily, Department of Bacteriology, Immunology and Mycology, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
Mohamed F. Abdelghany, Department of Fish Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University , Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt
Mahmoud A. Elnakeeb, Department of Fish Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University , Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt
Eman M. Ismail, Department of Veterinary Hygiene and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt
Reham H. Ragab, Department of Aquatic Animal Medicine and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 12211 Egypt
Amina A. Dessouki, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt

Corresponding Author

Alaa Eldin Eissa

Document Type

Original Article

Subject Areas

Aquatic medicine

Keywords

Lake Manzala, water quality, algal blooms, Cyanobacteria, Microcysti aeruginosa.

Abstract

Objective: The current study aimed to assess the direct effects of poor water quality on the eruption of heavy harmful algal blooms and to assess the physicochemical properties of water in Lake Manzala, as well as the molecular identification of the retrieved green algae.

Procedures: Subsurface water samples were collected from three different sites in September 2023 for water quality assessment. Moreover, morphological and molecular identification of suspected harmful algae is the most reliable diagnostic tool for this eruption.

Results: This study was conducted in the northern and northeastern regions of Lake Manzala. These regions receive large amounts of municipal, agricultural, and industrial waste effluents that contain organic and inorganic pollutants. High surges in phosphate, ammonia, nitrate, and other water quality measures were remarkable at Boughaz El-Boghdady. Morphological and microbiological analyses of the water samples revealed that Microcystis aeruginosa was the most widespread algal bloom species in Lake Manzala. identity of the retrieved Microcystis aeruginosa algae was confirmed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Conclusions: Such algal blooms have both hypoxic and toxic effects on all living marine species throughout the lake. These results necessitate intense environmental rehabilitation and restoration efforts through increasing numbers of boughazes linked to the Mediterranean Sea, increasing the number of wastewater treatment stations, and regular monitoring of lake water quality.

How to Cite This Article

Hussein, Mohammed A.; Eissa, Alaa Eldin; Eltarabily, Reham M.; Abdelghany, Mohamed F.; Elnakeeb, Mahmoud A.; Ismail, Eman M.; Ragab, Reham H.; and Dessouki, Amina A. (2024) "Poor water quality as a trigger of harmful algal blooms in Lake Manzala," Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal: Vol. 25: Iss. 3, Article 1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35943/2682-2512.1237