Tropical Marine Phytoplankton Assemblages and Water Quality Characteristics Associated with Thermal Discharge from a Coastal Power Station

A study of phytoplankton assemblages and water quality characteristics was conducted monthly from November 2009 to October 2010 at the coastal waters adjacent to the Sultan Azlan Shah Power Station (SASPS) in Manjung, Perak, Malaysia. Water quality parameters were measured and phytoplankton samples were collected at five sampling stations with different environmental conditions. The results showed a significant difference of total phytoplankton abundance, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, TSS, ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, BOD, chlorophyll-a, and water transparency among sampling stations (P<0.05). In this study, Bacillariophyta, Cyanophyta, Chlorophyta, and Dinophyta were the major phylum presented at all sampling stations, and the most dominant phytoplankton species was Odontella sinensis based on Importance Species Indices. The Principal Component Analysis recommended a combination of factors such as anthropogenic input, thermal discharge, and turbidity that influenced the phytoplankton abundance and water quality condition within the vicinity of SASPS. Keywords: Phytoplankton, Thermal Stress, Manjung, Water Quality, Tropic, Bioindicato