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Rotifers are one of the most common, abundant components of plankton in the coastal waters of the Mediterranean Sea, which means that they can be used as bio-indicators and provide useful information on the long-term dynamics of the El-Mex Bay ecosystem. Rotifera species were quantitatively and qualitatively assessed in the El-Mex Bay, west of Alexandria at eight stations to study spatial, temporal, dominance, and abundance of the rotifer community and their relation with changes in environmental conditions. Samples were collected seasonally from autumn 2011 to autumn 2012. Ecological parameters were determined and correlated with total rotifers abundance to gain information about the forces that structure the rotifer community in this dynamic environment. A total of 38 rotifer species were identified belonging to 16 genera within 12 families and 3 orders under one class and contributed about 12.1% of the total zooplankton in the study area with an average of 1077 specimens/m3. Maximum density was observed in summer 2012 with an average of 1445 specimens/m3. During autumn 2011 rotifers appeared in low density (434 specimens/m3). The predominant species Ascomorpha saltans, Brachionus urceolaris, Synchaeta oblonga, Synchaeta okai, Synchaeta pectinata and Synchaeta tremula were recorded in all study stations of the bay. Salinity, temperature, depth, and chlorophyll-a concentration were the most important environmental factors co-related with the abundance of rotifers in the El-Mex Bay. A significant positive correlation between the total rotifer abundance and chlorophyll-a was observed during winter 2012 and summer 2012 (r = 0.763 and r = 0.694, respectively, at p ⩽ 0.05).

Seasonal abundance, biomass, and taxonomic composition of copepods in El-Mex Bay (Southeastern Mediterranean region) were studied from autumn 2011 to 2012. Most species within the copepod communities displayed a clear pattern of succession throughout the investigation period. Generally copepods were the predominant group. They contributed numerically 57% of the total zooplankton counts with an average of 5083 organisms/m3 and a total number of 203,333 individuals. The bay harbored 50 species belonging to 28 genera within 19 families and 4 orders under one class. Calanoids were represented by 24 species which formed 31.6% of total copepods predominantly Acartia clausi, Calocalanus pavo, Clausocalanus furcatus, Eucalanus crassus, Nannocalanus minor, Paracalanus parvus, Eucalanus subcrassus, and Temora longicornis. Cyclopoids comprised 13 species of which Acanthocyclops americanus, Halicyclops magniceps, Oithona attenuata, and Oithona nana were the most abundant adult copepods. Eleven Harpacticoid species were also recorded with Euterpina acutifrons, Microsetella norvegica, Onychocamptus mohammed being the most prevalent. It was found however, that two Poecilostomatoida species were rarely encountered in the plankton Oncaea minuta and Corycaeus typicus. Copepod larvae and copepodite stages formed the main bulk of copepod Fauna as noticed in the El-Mex Bay during the investigation period. Their percentage was 36.7% of the total count and their total numbers were 74,629 individuals with an average of 1866 organisms/m3. The persistent relationships between total copepod counts, copepod orders, and physico-chemical variables suggested that physical factors operate on the copepod communities, either directly to limit maximum distribution along the bay, or indirectly on abundance.