Observations on the plankton and hydrography of the Kuwaiti waters

Abstract

Results of the investigations on plankton and related oceanographic parameters of the Kuwaiti waters conducted from January to March 1979 are presented. The maximum depth sampled was 36 m and the maximum distance sampled offshore was approximately 25 km. Average values of the hydrographic parameters in the bottom waters were more or less similar to those of the surface because of the shallowness of the stations. Among phytoplankton the most important constituents in the surface waters were Chaetoceros spp. and Rhizosolenia spp. Among zooplankton, copepods formed more than 70% in numbers. Plankton samples from the interior of the Kuwait Bay were richer in protein and fat and had a greater calorific value