Checklist of phytoplankton species in the Egyptian Red Sea Coast of Hurghada

Abstract

Surface phytoplankton samples were collected at twelve stations of Hurghada coast of the Red Sea. Phytoplankton samples were conducted monthly during the period from August 2014 to July 2015. The phytoplankton population was diversified accounting 138 species which comprised mainly of two groups; dinoflagellates (67 species) and diatoms (64 species), and the rest of species (7 species) belong to other four groups. The dominant genera, in terms of the number of species, were Tripos, Protoperidinium and Gonyaulax for dinoflagellates, while Chaetoceros, Rhizosolenia for diatoms. The present study added 35 new records to the proper Red Sea. Of these species, 17 species of diatoms and 15 dinoflagellates in addition to two species of coccolithophores and one species of Chlorophyceae.