The neglected zooplankton communities as indicators of ecological water quality of Mediterranean lakes

Abstract Zooplankton are widely recognised as being regulated primarily by predators and food availability. In reservoirs, the quantity and quality of food resources are generally affected by the characteristics of the water, which in turn are controlled by the flow pulse generated by operation of the dams. In this study, we investigated the relationship between zooplankton, water quality and food availability (phytoplankton) in eight hydroelectric reservoirs located in Brazil. Samples were collected during the rainy and dry periods between 2008 and 2009. In general, the reservoirs exhibited mesotrophic conditions and Cyanobacteria were the predominant phytoplankton. The results showed that the rotifers Kellicottia bostoniensis, Hexarthra mira, Keratella spp., and Polyarthra vulgaris were present, indicating nutrient-rich environments. In addition, the copepod Thermocyclops decipiens occurred in eutrophic environments. In contrast, the cladoceran Daphnia gessneri and copepod Notodiaptomus henseni were considered indicators of more desirable water quality, owing to their relationship with waters with lower levels of nutrients and suspended solids. The results support the use of these organisms as a useful tool for understanding changes in water quality and in the ecosystem processes involved.

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Spatio-temporal dynamics of zooplankton communities (Rotifers, Cladocerans, Copepods) and water quality of Lake Léré (TCHAD)

International Journal of Environment Agriculture and Biotechnology ◽

10.22161/ijeab.53.33 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 805-823

Author(s):

Safia Mahamat Tahir ◽

Brahim Boy Otchoum ◽

Mikail Abakar Ibrahim ◽

Tchakonte Siméon ◽

Enah Dickson Achuo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Temporal Dynamics ◽

Spatio Temporal ◽

Zooplankton Communities

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Assessment of Changes in the Structure of Zooplankton Communities to Infer Water Quality of the Caspian Sea

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d11080122 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 122 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Elena Krupa

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Deep Water ◽

Caspian Sea ◽

Size Structure ◽

The Caspian Sea ◽

Structural Variables ◽

Zooplankton Communities ◽

Average Individual ◽

Individual Mass

The work aimed to study the structural variables of zooplankton to assess the water quality of the Caspian Sea. Studies of zooplankton were conducted in the spring and summer of 2008 and 2010. Abundance, biomass, an average individual mass of a specimen, Shannon Bi, Shannon Ab, Δ-Shannon indices, and Clarke’s W-statistic were calculated for zooplankton. Quantitative variables of zooplankton were the highest in the Northeastern and Northern Caspian, decreasing towards the Middle Caspian. In the Northeastern and Northern Caspian from spring to summer, the number of zooplankton, and the values of Shannon Bi and Shannon Ab indices decreased; the values of Δ-Shannon and Clarke’s W-statistic increased. In the Middle Caspian, the biomass of the community increased; the values of Δ-Shannon and Clarke’s W-statistic decreased. From spring to summer, the value of an average individual mass of a specimen decreased over the entire surveyed area. The jellyfish Blackfordia virginica and Moerisia pallasi significantly influenced the size structure of the holoplankton. Seasonal dynamics of structural variables of zooplankton as well as changes in water transparency showed that water quality improved from spring to summer in the shallow northern and northeastern areas of the sea, and decreased in the deep-water Middle Caspian.

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Planktonic Invertebrates in the Assessment of Long-Term Change in Water Quality of the Sorbulak Wastewater Disposal System (Kazakhstan)

Water ◽

10.3390/w12123409 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 3409

Author(s):

Elena Krupa ◽

Sophia Barinova ◽

Sophia Romanova ◽

Moldir Aubakirova ◽

Nazia Ainabaeva

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Water Quality ◽

Water Bodies ◽

Wastewater Disposal ◽

Average Mass ◽

Biological Variables ◽

Morphological Anomalies ◽

Zooplankton Communities

The multicomponent composition of wastewater makes it challenging to assess its quality objectively, but the last one is a prerequisite for the safe re-use of wastewater. The solution to this problem should be aimed at finding criteria that make it possible to increase the objectivity of assessing the water quality of reservoirs with multicomponent pollution. This work analyzes the water quality of the Sorbulak wastewater disposal system in the summer of 2017, based on chemical variables and zooplankton structure and assess the long-term changes in the water quality of Sorbulak. According to the Kruskal–Wallis test, in 2017, the differences between the studied water bodies in the content of nutrients and heavy metals were mostly insignificant. From 2000–2002 to 2017, nitrate, nitrite nitrogen, and heavy metals in Sorbulak significantly decreased. Zooplankton communities consisted of a relatively small number of eurybiontic species resistant to environmental factors. The variability of the quantitative variables of zooplankton was associated with the nutrients. Males dominated the population of the cyclopoid copepods Acanthocyclops trajani. In 2000–2002 individuals with morphological anomalies were found in cyclopoid copepods populations, but were absent in 2017. The appearance of individuals with morphological anomalies was associated with copper or lead. The chemical data and structure of zooplankton communities indicated that the toxic pollution of Sorbulak decreased by 2017 compared to 2000–2002. Our results demonstrate that the structural variables of zooplankton communities could be successfully used to assess the water quality of water bodies with mixed pollution. We recommend using not only the traditional set of biological variables (abundance, biomass, diversity indices, and the average mass of an individual), but also data on the structure of species dominance, the sex structure of copepod populations, and the presence of individuals with morphological anomalies for monitoring of water bodies with mixed pollution.

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Impact assessment of local land use on ecological water quality of the Guayas river basin (Ecuador)

Ecological Informatics ◽

10.1016/j.ecoinf.2018.08.009 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 48 ◽

pp. 226-237 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Minar Naomi Damanik-Ambarita ◽

Pieter Boets ◽

Hanh Tien Nguyen Thi ◽

Marie Anne Eurie Forio ◽

Gert Everaert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

Impact Assessment ◽

River Basin ◽

Ecological Water Quality

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Grazing Potential—A Functional Plankton Food Web Metric for Ecological Water Quality Assessment in Mediterranean Lakes

Water ◽

10.3390/w11061274 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1274 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Georgia Stamou ◽

Matina Katsiapi ◽

Maria Moustaka-Gouni ◽

Evangelia Michaloudi

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Quality Assessment ◽

Secchi Depth ◽

Ecological Status ◽

Fish Predation ◽

Water Quality Assessment ◽

Zooplankton Biomass ◽

Ecological Water Quality

Grazing potential (GP, in % day−1) was estimated for the plankton communities of 13 Greek lakes covering the trophic spectrum, in order to examine its sensitiveness in discriminating different classes of ecological water quality. Lakes with high GP values exhibited high zooplankton biomass dominated by large cladocerans or/and calanoids while lakes with low GP values had increased phytoplankton biomass and/or domination of small-bodied zooplankton indicating intensive fish predation. GP successfully distinguished among ecological water quality classes (estimated using the phytoplankton water quality index PhyCoI) indicating its potential use as a metric for ecological water quality assessment. As a next step, PhyCoI index was modified to include GP as a metric in order to enhance the phytoplankton-based ecological status classification of lakes incorporating zooplankton as a supporting factor. The PhyCoIGP successfully assessed the ecological water quality in accordance with PhyCoI classification whereas it was significantly correlated with the eutrophication proxy TSISD based on Secchi Depth. Thus, we propose to use the modified phytoplankton index PhyCoIGP for monitoring the ecological water quality of lakes.

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