Phytoplankton productivity and chlorophyll-A concentration of Oguta Lake in Southeastern Nigeria

The phytoplankton productivity and chlorphyll-a concentration of Oguta Lake, the largest natural lake in south-eastern Nigeria, are presented (Dec. 1983. Nov. 1984). The gross productivity ranged from 1.3 to 3.77 g C.m^–2.day^–1 for the water column, dropped during the period of heavy rainfall and varied with depth. The chlorophyll-a concentration had monthly means ranging from 2.31 to 4.00 mg.m^–3, with a drop during the rains, but little depth variation. Both productivity and chlorophyll-a showed non-significant correlation with the physico-chemical features of the water. The values of the biological parameters showed the lake as mesotrophic. The values are compared with those of other African lakes.