Predicted Study of Carbon Sequestration by Phytoplankton in South Coast of Mediterranean Sea Opposite the Projected Canal Connected to Qattara Depression

Abstract: This study was conducted to study how the development of inland oligotrophic marine ecosystem in Qattara Depression may act to mitigate the increase in the atmospheric carbon dioxide. Three sites with different nutrient concentrations were chosen at the Mediterranean Egyptian coast to study the phytoplankton composition, biomass and productivity. Site 1 was highest in nutrient concentration but least in water transparency, whereas site 2 was moderate in nutrient concentrations but highest in water transparency. Both gross and net production have a climax at site 2 with values reached up to 793.9 and 355.9 gC/m /year,3 respectively. The net primary production (C sequestration) of phytoplankton at the expected water intake of the project is 355g m year. At filling of Qattara Depression at 60m below sea level the water volume will be3 1 209.3 km, the total C sequestered by phytoplankton per year is about 700x10 tons of carbon, which is about3 5 1.5 % of the annual increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide worldwide. Rising temperature during summer and nutrients enrichment in Qattara Depression may increase sequestration of carbon dioxide up to 5 % of total annual carbon increase in earth atmosphere. Key words: Qattara Depression Global warming Phytoplankton Primary productivity INTRODUCTION terrestrial plants [10, 11], aquatic seaweeds and sea Anthropogenic activity has increased the carbon mitigate the dramatic increase in atmospheric carbo