DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sajb.2026.v14i01.004

Pages: 74-92

The present study was conducted on Lake Ehuikro, located in Bongouanou (Côte d'Ivoire), from April 2017 to March 2018, in order to assess its ecological status through the combination of physicochemical parameters and the structure of the zooplankton community. Zooplankton were sampled monthly using a plankton net with a 60 µm mesh size. A total of 33 zooplankton taxa were identified, belonging to 17 families and 25 genera. The zooplankton community was dominated by copepods (48%), followed by rotifers (42%), while cladocerans and other zooplanktonic organisms each represented 5%. Among the rotifers, the Brachionidae (8 taxa) were dominant, whereas among the copepods, the Cyclopidae (5 taxa) prevailed. Conductivity, temperature, oxygen saturation rate, and dissolved oxygen were higher during the major dry season, while phosphorus, nitrate concentrations, and depth were higher during the major rainy season. The results revealed that some physicochemical parameters showed signs of disturbance, likely linked to local anthropogenic activities. Biologically, the dominance of copepods and rotifers indicates a tendency toward mesotrophy.