Aim: The composition, abundance, community structure of potamoplankton and major physical and chemical variables of the Nile water in Upper Egypt were investigated to assess its status in different seasons during 2007.MethodsWater samples were collected seasonally during 2007 from six investigated sites from variable depths at levels of 0, 2.5 and 5 m. The area of this investigation is defined as the southern 120 Km of the main stream of the Nile in Upper Egypt (24° 04’ – 25° 00’ latitudes and 32° 51’ – 32° 54’ longitudes), downstream of Aswan Old Dam.ResultsAltogether, 121 potamoplankton species, of which 85 related to phytoplankton and 36 appertaining to zooplankton were recorded. Most numerous phytoplankton were Chlorophyceae (42 species) followed by Bacillariophyceae (30 species). Cyanobacteria and Dinophyceae were less numerous with only 11 and 2 species, respectively. Zooplankton species were mainly belonging to three systematic groups namely; Rotifera (24 species), Copepoda (3 species) and Cladocera (9 species). Besides, other rare zooplankton including Platyhelminthes, Nemata and Ciliophora were sparsely encountered. The main hydrological conditions characterizing the investigated area include water level fluctuations (˂82 - ˃85 m above sea level), relatively high current velocity (0.8 - 1.3 m sec–1) and disposal of wastewater. Plankton populations were variably but rather weakly dependent on the major nutrients due to their excessive availability in accessible form for uptake by the producers. For phytoplankton, the community structure was categorized in relation to temperature, pH, SO42– and Mg2+. For zooplankton, the community structure was categorized in relation to conductivity as well as Mg2+. Sampling intervals were inadequate to demonstrate the existing successional pattern of the Nile potamoplankton community. Alterations in the phytoplankton community structure accompanied changes in water temperature represented by the alternate dominance between diatoms and cyanobacteria, while zooplankton community was always dominated by rotifers. Phytoplankton populations were numerically more abundant in autumn and zooplankton peaked in spring.ConclusionsWastewater disposal restricted the abundance of the Nile zooplankton assemblages mainly due to the numerical decline of Rotifera and Cladocera. Otherwise, wastewater did not exert major limits for phytoplankton. The data obtained in this investigation will be crucial to understand potamoplankton regulation and contribute to the knowledge regarding the Limnology of the Nile basin.

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Seasonal, local and monthly vertical variations in chlorophyll a concentration and in qualitative and quantitative counts in Aswan High Dam Lake (AHDL) phytoplankton were followed from March 1982 to February 1984. The chlorophyll a values correlated more or less with the total phytoplankton counts. Total algal counts exhibited considerable local variations in the different seasons and tended t o decrease in the most southern part of AHDL, especially during the flood period. The temporal course of algal development showed a n almost inverse trend to that of dissolved nitrate-nitrogen. The possibility of nitrogen limitation of algal growth was verified.Diatoms and blue-green algae alternated in the dominance of the phytoplankton community. The genera Cydotella and Anabaenopsis respectively were the most predominant genera among the diatoms and blue-greens and consequently in the phytoplankton community.

The effect of industrial wastewater on the Nile cyanobacteria Pseudanabaena limnetica and Anabaena wisconsinense was investigated. The data showed that P. limnetica was more sensitive to pollution than A. wisconsinense. The treatments with different levels of wastewater exerted pronounced reductions in protein and amino acids content. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that the cyanobacteria grown in the industrial wastewater showed induction in the synthesis of certain polypeptides and repression of others. The treatments of P. limnetica with wastewater stimulated the appearance of six protein bands with molecular masses of 28, 30, 31, 32, 58 and 97 kDa. The same treatments caused the disappearance of 20, 38 and 56 kDa. The structural protein pattern of the treated A. wisconsinense showed appearance of 16, 30, 170 and 230 kDa and disappearance of 56 kDa. The treatment of the two investigated cyanobacteria with different levels of wastewater stimulated the biosyntheses of different amino acids and inhibited others

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