Temporal Changes of Phytoplankton Communities in Surface Layers (0.5 m) of the Zerebar Lake

Assessment of biodiversity and providing phytoplankton checklist of a water body can be used in all subsequent studies. Such studies provide information on physical, chemical and biological conditions of aquatic ecosystems. The present study aimed to provide a phytoplankton checklist for the Zerebar Lake (Kurdistan province, Iran) and also investigate the distribution of phytoplankton community at different months. Sampling was carried out every two months from September 2010 to July 2011 in three different parts of the lake. A total number of 53 genera of phytoplankton were identified belonged to 9 classes and 14 orders. Genus richness and Shannon-Weiner indices indicated that the Zerebar Lake had high phytoplankton diversity. Cyanobacteria (the genera Lyngbya, Cylindrospermopsis and Microcystis) in September and November, diatoms (the genera Synedra and Cyclotella) in other months, green algae (the genera Chlorella and Scenedesmus) in March and July and Chrysophyceae from the genera Gonyostomum in May and July and the genus Dinobryon in January constituted the major parts of phytoplankton communities. The present genera indicate high concentrations of nutrients in the lake. A further study using phytoplankton species is needed to depict clearer image of phytoplankton community in the Zerebar Lake.