Abstract:
Research Objectives and Methodology. The study on water quality, species and abundance of plankton including the relationship between plankton and water quality in Pattaya coast was conducted from November 1997 to October 1998. The specimen collection was conducted every month from 4 stations. When quality parameters were : water temperature 30.25-32.62 ํc, salinity 20-30 ppt, dissolved oxygen 5.25-8.878 mg./I pH 6.83-8.37. A total of 66 genera in 4 phyla of plankton recorded comprised 50 genera of Bacillariophyta, 7 genera of Chlorophyta, 6 genera of Phyrrophyta, and 3 genera of Cyanophyta. A total amount in 9 phyla of zooplankton: Phylum Protozoa, Phylum Cnidaria, Phylum Rotifera, Phylum Chaetognatha, Phylum Annelida, Phylum Arthropoda, Phylum Chordata, Phylum Echinodermata, and Phylum Mollusca, the most abundance phytoplankton genera, were in the Phylum Bacillariophyta Coscinodiscus., Chaetoceros spp., Bacteriastrum spp., Thalassiothrix spp., Thalassionema spp., Rhizosolenia spp. The most abundant zooplankton groups were in the Phylum Protozoa; foraminifera, Favella spp., Phylum Arthropoda; nauplius, cyclopoid. Phylum Chlorophyta was found negatively related to temperature, salinity and pH ; while those phyta of Cyanophyta, Pyrrophyta and Bacillariophyta were found of having no significant relation with any parameters of water quality. Phylum Chordata was found positively related to salinity, dissolved oxygen and pH. Phylum Annelida was found positively related to temperature and dissolved oxygen Phylum Rotifera was negatively related to pH ; while those phyla of Protozoa Cnidaria Chaetognatha Arthropoda Mollusca Echinodermata had no significant relation with any parameters of water quality. Finally, Favella spp. was revealed positively related to temperature and dissolved oxygen.