Impact of climate change on the phytoplankton community of the Aglou-Sidi Ifni coastline (Moroccan Atlantic coast)

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning Team, Ibn Zohr University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Agadir, Morocco.

^* Corresponding author: melgallouli@yahoo.fr

Abstract

The objective of this study is to understand the evolution of the typologies (physicochemical and phytoplankton) in Aglou-Sidi Ifni coastline according to hydrometeorological and climatic hazards. To achieve this objective, monitoring of the phytoplankton community and water physicochemical parameters was conducted at three stations along this coastline and during the winter and fall seasons of two different annual cycles (2014-2016). The first cycle experienced heavy flooding while the second cycle experienced severe drought. This study revealed spatial and temporal variability in phytoplankton composition and the relative abundance of its major groups. Temporal variability may be due to changes in the physicochemical characteristics of water masses as a function of continental inputs and wave intensity, which differ from cycle to cycle and season to another. Whereas the spatial variability would be due to the modification of these physicochemical characteristics from one station to another under the influence of the morphology of the coast in this zone, which curves westwards and carries Cape Aglou at its northern end, thus making the station of Sidi Ifni more exposed to currents than the other two stations which are somewhat sheltered.