Studies on the mycoflora of Aswan High Dam Lake, Egypt: vertical fluctuations

The fungal population of Aswan High Dam Lake showed marked vertical variations during the period of study which extended from July 1985 to December 1986. High fungal counts were observed at the surface water which were mainly due to the high counts of Aspergillus fumigatus and A. terreus. Going deeper the fungal population decreased till 30 meters, then gradually increased to reach its maximum at the 70 meter depth (near the bottom of the lake). Such increase was basically due to the high population of Penicillium funiculosum. At each sampling time, the water temperature and the values of dissolved oxygen were always higher at the surface than near the bottom of the lake. The temperature ranged from 15 degrees to 26 degrees C and the dissolved oxygen from 1.31 to 8.98 mg 1(-1).