Study of Toxic Phytoplankton in the Coastal Waters of Tartus City

Abstract

This research was conducted in the coastal waters of Tartus city as a continuation of previous studies along the Syrian coast. Five stations were selected based on their different environmental characteristics and continuous exposure to pollution sources organic, thermal, and oil. The marine sampling for the study was carried out in May 2023,

and water samples were collected for analysis. The toxic phytoplankton species were identified, and field measurements of some physical and chemical factors (temperature, salinity) were conducted. The abundance values of toxic phytoplankton ranged from 34672.2 to 41666.6 cells/m3. Nine species of toxic phytoplankton were recorded in all study sites, belonging to two major groups of phytoplankton, including two species of diatoms, six species of dinoflagellates, and one species of blue-bacteria..