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Publications (4) View all
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Article: Zooplankton distribution in four ponds of different salinity: a seasonal study in the solar salterns of Sfax (Tunisia)
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ABSTRACT: The seasonal distribution of metazooplankton and large-sized ciliates was studied in four ponds of different salinity in the solar salterns of Sfax (Tunisia). Total zooplankton abundance varied from 1 × 103 to 4.7 x 106 ind m-3. Salinity had a negative effect on the abundance of copepods and rotifers which were absent in the pond with the highest salt concentration (180‰) in which the number of taxa was low and Artemia or the ciliate Fabrea largely dominated the zooplankton community. Temperature and the presence of Dunaliella salina as prey appeared as key factors in controlling the abundance of Artemia, while organic detritus appeared as important in the diet of Fabrea. Change in zooplankton species composition along the hypersaline gradient (40-90‰) was primarily related to salinity. However, our data suggest the importance of both the abundance and composition of food in the spatial and temporal variations of some zooplankton species.Hydrobiologia. -
Article: The microbial loop in the Sfax saltworks (Tunisia): quantitative importance of ciliated protozoa and bacteria
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ABSTRACT: In aquatic pelagic environments, numerous works have showed that part of the energy flows through the microbial loop, which can play a significant role. The aim of this work was to study the microbial loop, in particular ciliated protozoa and bacteria, in the Sfax Saltworks ecosystem. The main results are: The densities of ciliates in the first Saltworks basins were low, due to the presence of predators. With the increasing salinity along the saltworks, marine ciliates were progressively replaced by more euryhalines species, like Fabrea salina. The ciliates density, was highest in the high salinity basins, in association with bacterial development, suggesting the functioning of the microbial loop in these pounds.Mediterranean Coastal Environment 2. -
Article: Étude qualitative et quantitative des peuplements phyto- et zooplanctoniques dans les bassins de la saline de Sfax, Tunisie
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ABSTRACT: Le plancton végétal et animal a été analysé dans différents bassins de la saline de Sfax (Tunisie), entre le mois d'août 1999 et le mois de mai 2000. Des communautés diversifiées de phyto- et de zooplancton ont été observées. Quelle que soit la saison considérée, la structure des peuplements phytoplanctoniques se caractérise par la dominance de diatomées dans les bassins primaires de la saline (salinité < 200 ‰), suivie d'une dominance de dinoflagellés dans les bassins intermédiaires (salinité 200-300 ‰), et d'un développement quasi-monospécifique de la chlorophycée Dunaliella satina dans les bassins terminaux où cristallise et se dépose la production saline (salinité > 300 ‰). En ce qui concerne le zooplancton (> 20 pm), les crustacés (copépodes) et les rotifères dominent en été et en automne dans les bassins primaires, suivis des protozoaires ciliés en hiver dans les bassins intermédiaires, et du phyllopode Artemia qui représente l'essentiel du zooplancton dans les bassins terminaux et atteint une abondance maximale au printemps. Les résultats de cette étude permettent de penser que la salinité, dont les effets sont accentués dans les zones arides, représente, probablement en conjonction avec les ressources, un paramètre déterminant et sélectif pour la diversité et la dynamique des peuplements planctoniques dans la saline de Sfax et les marais salants en général.Revue des Sciences de l'Eau/Journal of Water. -
Article: Artemia in the saltworks of Sfax (Tunisia): distribution and economical importance for aquaculture
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ABSTRACT: Paralic ecosystems constitute a transition system between marine and continental fields. The Sfax Saltworks offer the advantage of being a paralic artificial system characterized by a particular hydrodynamism. These Saltworks extend on a littoral area of approximately 1500 ha. The biological settlement of this medium is diversified, with clear predominance of euryhalin species like Artemia. This species develops in the medium in spring and its spatial distribution is limited by the presence of predators and the high alinity of the medium. In this study, we will analyze the nutritive requirements of Artemia by the CPG lipid analysis and develop its potential application for aquaculture.Mediterranean Coastal Environment 2.
