Zooplankton Indices Research Articles

Оценка качества воды Волжского плеса Куйбышевского водохранилища по состоянию зоопланктона

The object of the study were three different in their hydrological characteristics, as well as the degree of anthropogenic load on them (in the form of sewage from the adjacent territory), the area of the water area of the Volga reaches of the Kuibyshev Reservoir, where there are deposits of nonmetallic building materials. Studies were conducted during the vegetation period 2014-2015. They included physical/chemical studies and studies of the state of zooplankton. Total 311 samples of zooplankton were collected and processed. During the study, 30 species of zooplankton organisms were recorded: 7 species of Rotifera, 7 species of Copepoda and 16 species of Cladocera. The richest in terms of the quantitative diversity of species was No. 3 site. Prevalent in terms of number and biomass of organisms – site number 1. Quantitative indicators of zooplankton were observed in 2015 compared to 2014. This is explained by the fact that 2014 was warmer than 2015. The oxygen regime of 2014 was also better than that of 2015. The turbidity of water in 2014 was below the turbidity of water in 2015, the quality of water in the second year of research deteriorated compared to the first in a number of indicators, such as COD, compounds copper, zinc, manganese, oil products. The mid-vegetation indexes of saprobity for the indicated observation period make it possible to attribute these sections of the Volga reach of the Kuibyshev reservoir to the β-mesosaprobic zone, which corresponds to the third class of water quality - moderately polluted water. Proceeding from the obtained values of the Shannon and Pielu indices, the zooplankton of the studied sections of the Volga reaches of the Kuibyshev reservoir has a rather low species richness with a rigid type of dominance, which characterizes it as mesotrophic. The ratio of groups of organisms and the dominance of individual species indicates a deterioration in water quality over a two-year period of research, which is confirmed by the research conducted by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise «UGMS RT».

Zooplankton in two small reservoirs of the Tuva Republic

The article provides information on the species composition and quantitative indicators of zooplankton in two small mountain reservoirs of the Tuva Republic: the Eerbek and Turan. They reflect the first and the third years of the ecosystem existence after seasonal drawdown. Regulation shows a typical pattern in the distribution of zooplankton in the reservoirs: an increase in density in the dam section. In general, the reservoir zooplankton has a floodplain type of formation. The existence periods of reservoirs influences the zooplankton structure and its development: regulation in the first year determines the development of crustacean zooplankton (represented mainly by cladocerans), usually with monodominance; over three years, all main groups of zooplankton develop, but drawdowns interrupt the formation on the normal ecosystem in the reservoir.

Turbidity, Waterfowl Herbivory, and Propagule Banks Shape Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in Ponds.

The aquatic vegetation in nutrient-rich shallow lakes and ponds is structured by the interplay of multiple biotic and abiotic drivers. We tested the contribution of the macrophyte propagule bank and the delayed as well as direct impact of waterbirds on submerged aquatic vegetation in a peri-urban pond system. To clarify the functional hierarchy of predictor variables, effects of herbivorous waterfowl and propagule bank potential were ranked relative to environmental, phytoplankton, and zooplankton indicators. Two aspects of the aquatic vegetation – community composition and total pond-scale cover – were discriminated. Within vegetation communities, phytoplankton biovolume and waterfowl herbivory during summer were linked to low macrophyte abundance, whereas propagule density of angiosperms was positively associated with specific assemblages of submerged macrophytes. High algal biovolume and summer waterfowl grazing seemed to affect maximal pond-scale cover of submerged aquatic vegetation. The presence of waterfowl in cold and spring periods was unrelated to vegetation structure in the consecutive main growth season. In addition, availability of propagules in the sediment did not automatically prompt pond-wide vegetation cover (especially when overruled by high waterfowl densities), nor did it guarantee a position in the submerged macrophyte community. Nonetheless, propagule bank potential was related to the waterbody’s general ecological status, since turbid ponds exhibited impoverished propagule reserves compared to ponds residing in a clear, macrophyte-dominated state. Inadequate recruitment therefore represents a plausible bottleneck for macrophyte establishment. We conclude that phytoplankton-caused turbidity and high waterfowl biomass densities greatly restrict submerged macrophyte abundance. Propagule banks also participate in structuring submerged aquatic vegetation, though a stronger role is reserved for herbivorous waterfowl.

ASSESSMENT OF WATER QUALITY IN THE RIVERS OF ABKHAZIA, BASED ON ZOOPLANKTON

Objective: A number of water objects of Abkhazia (the Western Caucasus) have been studied. Physicochemical indicators of water and characteristics of zooplankton community were investigated. Water bodies of Abkhazia are specified by high water quality, due to glacier-derived nourishment of rivers. In the mouth areas, the quality of water deteriorates, sometimes significantly, due to the pollution by sewage. However, most of the studied water bodies have high quality of water. The exceedance of maximum permissible concentration of biogenic elements was not revealed in rivers. In waterfalls water is ultra-fresh. In rivers, water is fresh with low hardness. Materials and Methods: A total of 17 zooplankton taxa were identified in the studied water bodies. The dominant species in various water objects were the following: Thermocyclops crassus, Pleuroxus aduncus, Pleuroxus trigonellus, Alona rectangula, Penilia avirostris, Macrothrix laticornis, and Eucyclops serrulatus. Zooplankton communities are characterized by low species richness. It is due to the high flow rate of mountain rivers, and their low temperature that creates unfavorable conditions for the development of zooplankton. Results and Discussion: The abundance of zooplankton varied from 5 specimens/m3 (the Mokva River) to 570 specimens/m3 (the Edyrtaa River). The biomass of zooplankton varied from 0.127 mg/m3 (the Mokva River) to 5.1 mg/m3 (the Akuna Channel). Quantitative indicators of zooplankton are low. Conclusions: According to the value of saprobity index, water in the Dzyguta, Edyrtaarivers, the channel from the Gali reservoir refers to β-mesosaprobic zone, and water in the Kudry Khuchi and Smyrakha rivers - to oligosaprobic zone.

Zooplankton monitoring to contribute towards addressing global biodiversity conservation challenges.

Oceanographers have an increasing responsibility to ensure that the outcomes of scientific research are conveyed to the policy-making sphere to achieve conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity. Zooplankton monitoring projects have helped to increase our understanding of the processes by which marine ecosystems respond to climate change and other environmental variations, ranging from regional to global scales, and its scientific value is recognized in the contexts of fisheries, biodiversity and global change studies. Nevertheless, zooplankton data have rarely been used at policy level for conservation and management of marine ecosystems services. One way that this can be pragmatically and effectively achieved is via the development of zooplankton indicators, which could for instance contribute to filling in gaps in the suite of global indicators to track progress against the Aichi Biodiversity Targets of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2010–2020. This article begins by highlighting how under-represented the marine realm is within the current suite of global Aichi Target indicators. We then examine the potential to develop global indicators for relevant Aichi Targets, using existing zooplankton monitoring data, to address global biodiversity conservation challenges.

Comprehensive approach to restoring urban recreational reservoirs. Part 2 – Use of zooplankton as indicators for the ecological quality assessment

The presented research is part of the LIFE project (“EH-REK” LIFE08 ENV/PL/000517) on innovative restoration methods for small urban impoundments in the city of Łódź (Poland). The objective was to evaluate the usefulness of zooplankton as a biological quality element, when assessing the effectiveness of restoration efforts in three urban reservoirs and a one pond. The fifth unrestored pond was used as an example of the progressive eutrophication of an urban ecosystem. Studies were conducted during two periods: before (2010−2012) and after (2013–2016) restoration. A selection of zooplankton indices, including the rotifer trophic state index (TSIROT), was used. The influence of the supplying river resulted in the negligible responses of biological parameters to the restoration efforts in the Upper Arturówek (UA) reservoir, which is the first in cascade of reservoirs. However, clear symptoms of water quality improvements were observed in the other two reservoirs (the Middle Arturówek, MA; the Lower Arturówek, LA) and in the Bzura-17 (B17) pond. After restoration, the contribution of species indicative of high trophic levels decreased in these ecosystems. The TSIROT was strongly positively correlated with the trophic state index based on chlorophyll a, and both parameters significantly decreased in the MA, LA and B17. In the unrestored pond (B11), the successive increase in the concentrations of chemical parameters indicated progressing eutrophication. Interestingly, since 2013, the TSIROT values clearly decreased in B11, but the strong negative correlation between ammonium concentration and rotifer density indicated that the reduced TSIROT values didn't result from improvements in water quality; rather, they resulted from the increases in pollution and the associated harmful impacts on Rotifera. In conclusion, the TSIROT can be a useful tool for assessing the ecological quality of small urban ecosystems; however, the use of biological indices must be supported by also monitoring physicochemical parameters.

Evaluation of the lake Lyabiazhie (Kazan, Russia) state by indicators of communities of hydrobionts

The article presents the results of studies of zooplankton and zoobenthos communities of Lake Lebyazhye (Kazan, Russia) performed in 2015-2016. Over the past decades, under the influence of anthropogenic and natural factors, the level of water decreased and the area of Lake Lebyazhye decreased. Now the water level in the lake is artificially maintained by the supply of groundwater, which led to a change in the type of water, an increase in mineralization. As a result, species composition of zooplankton decreased, a complex of dominant species changed, and quantitative indicators of zooplankton and zoobenthos communities decreased. The results of studies of the zooplankton and zoobenthos communities of Lake Lebyazhye can be used to justify measures for the lake’s eco-rehabilitation.

The use of zooplankton distribution maps for assessment of ecological status of the Shardara reservoir (Southern Kazakhstan)

The spatial distribution of biological indicators of zooplankton in Shardara reservoir (southern Kazakhstan) was investigated in summer 2015. The development of macrophytes in the water area significantly affected the species diversity of zooplankton. Copepoda avoided places with high concentrations of polyphosphates from detergents, but gained a competitive advantage on water areas polluted by β-HCCH. The most favorable conditions for Cladocera, represented mostly by Daphnia galeata, were formed on parts of the reservoir with high content of phosphates, nitrites, zinc and accumulation of green algae. Cladocera avoided waters with a high content of lead, copper and cadmium. Statistical maps of distribution of Δ-Shannon, Clarke's W-statistics and average individual mass did not reveal any certain relations with environmental variables, which we attribute to the complex nature of the Shardara reservoir's pollution. A strong relationship between the Δ-Shannon and Clarke's W-statistics parameters was found. It was found that Δ-Shannon is easily calculated and can be used for the zooplankton community structure description.

Использование показателей зоопланктона в оценке качества вод двух озер бассейна Финского залива

Использование показателей зоопланктона в оценке качества вод двух озер бассейна Финского залива

The temporal dynamics of zooplankton communities of different types of water bodies within Ichniansky National Park

In recent decades, the influence of anthropogenic impact on aquatic ecosystems has increased. This has led to a restructuring of aquatic ecosystems and affected the structural and functional organization of groups of aquatic organisms, causing qualitative and quantitative changes. Particular attention is drawn to the different types of water bodies of protected areas like IchnyanskyNational Park, which is located in Ichnyansky district of Chernihiv region. This park is a newly created one, so the reduction in intensity of anthropogenic pressure can be traced within its waters. Zooplankton plays an important role in the functioning of trophic networks because it transfers energy from producers and primary consumers to young fish and planktonophagous fish. Therefore, three main groups of zooplankton were chosen as the object of study: rotifers (class Eurotatoria), cladocerans (class Branchiopoda, order Cladocera), different age stages of copepods (class Copepoda), and also ostracods (Class Ostracoda). The zooplankton used as research material was collected in the daytime in spring (April), summer (late July – early August) and autumn (late September – early October) in the years 2015–2016 from ten experimental stations. During this period 81 species of zooplankton were recorded within heterogeneous reservoirs of IchnianskyNational Park. Monogonont rotifers (subclass Monogononta) included 35 species (43% of all species) and bdelloid rotifers (subclass Bdelloidea), cladocerns, comprised 28 species (35%), and copepods included 18 species (22%). The faunal range of zooplankton over different years and seasons was characterized by the predominance of the rotator complex in spring, rotator-cladocerans and cladocerans in summer, and of the cladocerans complex in autumn. This was due to the formation during spring and summer of favourable conditions in the waters for filter feeders, which consist generally of rotifers and cladocerans. In autumn the water released large amounts of organic matter that caused a reduction in the species diversity of rotifers. Zooplankton also is characterized by the considerable ecological diversity. The range of environmental groups of zooplankton over two years was characterized by a predominance of the pelagic and benthic group of phytophiles. Pelagic representatives included 35 (43%) of 81 species, the bottom group – 20 (25%), phytophiles – 26 (32%). Rotifers dominated in the pelagic group – 18 (51%) species out of 35, and cladocerans – among the bottom group – 10 (50%) species out of 20. Zooplankton species also are distinguished by their feeding type. They represented three trophic groups: peaceful – 64 (79%) out of 81 species, omnivorous – 6 (7%) and predators – 11 (14%). Quantitative indicators of zooplankton at most stations in different seasons were defined as “very low” (less than 5,000 ind./m 3 and less than 0.3 g/m 3 ), “low” (5,000–50,000 ind./m 3 and 0.3–1.0 g/m 3 ), “below average” (5,000–50,000 ind./m 3 and 0.3–1.0 g/m 3 ) rates, occasionally – average (51–250,000 ind./m 3 and 1.1–5.0 g/m 3 ), “medium high” (501,000–1,000,000 ind./m 3 and 1.1–5.0 g/m 3 ). High densities of zooplankton were recorded in spring for a temporary reservoir and amounted to 3,016,000 ind./m 3 .

К созданию экспертной системы Онежского озера: оптимизация мониторинга состояния экосистемы по показателям зоопланктона

К созданию экспертной системы Онежского озера: оптимизация мониторинга состояния экосистемы по показателям зоопланктона

Towards ecosystem-based management: identifying operational food-web indicators for marine ecosystems

Abstract Modern approaches to Ecosystem-Based Management and sustainable use of marine resources must account for the myriad of pressures (interspecies, human and environmental) affecting marine ecosystems. The network of feeding interactions between co-existing species and populations (food webs) are an important aspect of all marine ecosystems and biodiversity. Here we describe and discuss a process to evaluate the selection of operational food-web indicators for use in evaluating marine ecosystem status. This process brought together experts in food-web ecology, marine ecology, and resource management, to identify available indicators that can be used to inform marine management. Standard evaluation criteria (availability and quality of data, conceptual basis, communicability, relevancy to management) were implemented to identify practical food-web indicators ready for operational use and indicators that hold promise for future use in policy and management. The major attributes of the final suite of operational food-web indicators were structure and functioning. Indicators that represent resilience of the marine ecosystem were less developed. Over 60 potential food-web indicators were evaluated and the final selection of operational food-web indicators includes: the primary production required to sustain a fishery, the productivity of seabirds (or charismatic megafauna), zooplankton indicators, primary productivity, integrated trophic indicators, and the biomass of trophic guilds. More efforts should be made to develop thresholds-based reference points for achieving Good Environmental Status. There is also a need for international collaborations to develop indicators that will facilitate management in marine ecosystems used by multiple countries.

Influence of Beloyarskaya NPP on Zooplankton of Water Cooler

There were presented results of investigations of zooplankton’s structural organization and chemical composition waters of water cooler of Beloyarskaya NPP. Investigations conducted during period 2012–2014. There was studied species composition, distribution in spaсe, seasonal dynamics of population and biomass of zooplankton. There were investigated alterations zooplankton’s structure during passing through the NPP’s cooling system. There was made assessment of Beloyarsk reservoir’s water quality by indicators of zooplankton.

Zooplankton diversity and physicochemical profile of Ameenpur tank, Telangana, India.

Zooplankton composition and diversity in Ameenpur tank, Telangana, India were investigated during the year 2010-2012. The study reveals the occurrence of 55 species of zooplankton, of which 38 species rotifers, 14 cladocerans and 03 copepods. The population density varied from 195 to 5500Ind./L. The highest density of zooplankton was due to rotifer population. Diversity (H´) ranged from 0.6 to 2.45, evenness (J´) was 0.21 to 0.80 and species richness was 5 to 27. The population abundance because of Brachionus angularis , B. calyciflorus , B. caudatus , B. falcatus and B. rubens , Keratella tropica, Ceriodaphnia cornuta, Moina micrura, Bosmina longirostris, Indialona ganapati and Mesocyclops leuckarti . The significant inter and intra relationship between and within physicochemical and zooplankton indices were noted. Zooplankton diversity and physicochemical parameter reveal the change in the trophic status of Ameenpur tank.

Dynamics of Plankton Community in Banahao-Palhi River in Leyte, Philippines

Plankton consists of microscopic plants “phytoplankton” and animals “zooplankton“. They play a principal role in aquatic food web and zooplankton indicators of ecosystem change. Phytoplankton are the food source for zooplankton, and together, form the base of ocean and river food chains. In Leyte, few researches have been conducted in plankton specifically in river systems. The study was conducted to understand phytoplankton dynamics by first studying their occurrence, composition, and abundance. Three sampling sites were established along Banahao-Palhi river during dry and wet seasons. A total of 162 plankter samples were analyzed in the laboratory. Dry season sampling showed 99 pelagic algae belonging to 58 genera across sites. In all sites, the commonly occurring diatoms were Biddulphia, Meridion, and Synedra . For the green algae (Chlorophyceae) group, Groenbladia was the most common genus, while in the blue-greens (Cyanophyceae), Nostoc. In wet season, 165 pelagics in 68 genera were observed. Bacillariophyceae got the most number of pelagic algae in all sites for both seasons. For true zooplankton, eight families were recorded during the dry season with four, belonging to Rotifera, two under Copepoda and one, from Cladocera. Similar groups were found during wet season. Larvae of insects and benthics were found part of the zooplankton community. Insect groups include Orders Coleoptera, Diptera, Ephemeroptera, Megaloptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera. Non-insect groups include Arachnida, Amphipoda, Gastropoda and fish larvae. The Rotifera is the commonly occurring holoplankton with six genera identified. However, the copepods were the most abundant in Brgy. Palhi while protozoans, in Brgy. Banahao.

Zooplankton Diversity of Osmansagar Reservoir, Telangana, India

Zooplankton composition and diversity in Osmansagar reservoir, Telangana, India were investigated during the year 2010–2012. Collected data revealed the occurrence of 66 species of zooplankton, of which 50 rotifers, 14 cladocerans and two copepods. The population density of zooplankton varied from 83 to 1080 Ind./L. The highest density was due to rotifer and copepod population. Diversity (H′) was ranged from 0.679 to 2.631, evenness (J′) was 0.257 to 0.904 and species richness was 8–24. The less diversity and evenness was observed in November 2011, March and August 2012, because of copepoda dominance by Mesocyclops leuckarti. The population abundance of zooplankton was Brachionus forficula, Brachionus diversicornis, Brachionus calyciflorus, Keratella tropica, Trichocerca similis and Diaphanosoma sp. especially during the summer seasons in both the years. There was no seasonal periodicity of any zooplankton communities, but the population turnover was observed from rotifers to copepoda over the study period. The significant inter and intra relationship between and within physicochemical and zooplankton indices were noted. It is found that surface water temperature, magnesium and total hardness could be a limiting factor for the species richness. Dominance may be due to the numerical abundance of rotifer and copepod and it has a positive significant correlation with pH.

Zooplankton community structure of Volzhsko-Kamsky National Nature Reserve

Long-term studies had been held on the lakes of the Volga-Kama State Natural Reserve (Russia). The aim of our research was to study the biodiversity of planktonic rotifers and crustaceans, zooplankton community structure characteristics and also water quality assessment with bioindication methods. 137 species of zooplankton were identified in our research. In all lakes rotifers were presented by highest number of species. The lowest number ofspecies was found for copepods. In general, the species composition of zooplankton is typical for eutrophic lakes of Middle Volga region. The species most commonly found in lakes are indicators of eutrophic waters. We also analyzed and compared the structure of zooplankton communities and taxonomic composition in different types of nature reserve lakes. It was shown that changing the relationship between taxonomic groups of zooplankton and increase of rotifers in the community is also a sign of eutrophication. According to the abundance rotifers dominated in most lakes. Drastic changes in quantitative indicators of zooplankton during the growing season, due to an increase in the abundance of one of the species were typical of eutrophic lakes of the reserve. Studies have shown that in meso-eutrophic and eutrophic lakes the indicators that reflect the structure of the zooplankton community are the most informative for the assessment of the water quality. Lakes Raifskoe and Ilinskoe were the least polluted, and characterized by the structure of communities of mesotrophic type. The rest of the lakes are more prone to eutrophication processes and community structure of zooplankton corresponds to eutrophic lakes type.

Indicator-Based Assessment of Marine Biological Diversity–Lessons from 10 Case Studies across the European Seas

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive requires the environmental status of European marine waters to be assessed using biodiversity as one out of 11 descriptors, but the complexity of marine biodiversity and its large span across latitudinal and salinity gradients have been a challenge to the scientific community aiming to produce approaches for integrating information from a broad range of indicators. The Nested Environmental status Assessment Tool (NEAT), developed for the integrated assessment of the status of marine waters, was applied to ten marine ecosystems to test its applicability and compare biodiversity assessments across the four European regional seas. We evaluate the assessment results as well as the assessment designs of the ten cases, and how the assessment design, particularly the choices made regarding the area and indicator selection, affected the results. The results show that only 2 out of the 10 case study areas show more than 50 % probability of being in good status in respect of biodiversity. No strong pattern among the ecosystem components across the case study areas could be detected, but marine mammals, birds, and benthic vegetation indicators tended to indicate poor status while zooplankton indicators indicated good status when included into the assessment. The analysis shows that the assessment design, including the selection of indicators, their target values, geographical resolution and habitats to be assessed, has potentially a high impact on the result, and the assessment structure needs to be understood in order to make an informed assessment. Moreover, recommendations are provided for the best practice of using NEAT for marine status assessments.

Semi-automated classification method addressing marine strategy framework directive (MSFD) zooplankton indicators

Semi-automated classification of zooplankton allows increasing the number of processed samples cost-effectively, albeit with a relatively limited taxonomic accuracy, partly because cost-efficiency trade-off but also due to technological limitations that might be overcome in the future. The present study tests the suitability of using a cost-efficient semi-automated classification methodology as a tool to assess zooplankton indicators for the purpose of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, using samples collected in the Baltic Sea. In this brackish ecosystem the zooplankton individuals are small-bodied and therefore their identification with semi-automated classification is challenging. However, results show that semi-automated zooplankton classification provides a taxonomic classification level that is sufficient for a number of proposed indicators. This analysis also points out weakness of the methodology and proposes already proved solutions based on the latest development of these methodologies applied to zooplankton classification. As proved in the Baltic Sea, complementing manual zooplankton analyses with the semi-automated classification offers new advantages for marine environment assessment.

Indicator Properties of Baltic Zooplankton for Classification of Environmental Status within Marine Strategy Framework Directive

The European Marine Strategy Framework Directive requires the EU Member States to estimate the level of anthropogenic impacts on their marine systems using 11 Descriptors. Assessing food web response to altered habitats is addressed by Descriptor 4 and its indicators, which are being developed for regional seas. However, the development of simple foodweb indicators able to assess the health of ecologically diverse, spatially variable and complex interactions is challenging. Zooplankton is a key element in marine foodwebs and thus comprise an important part of overall ecosystem health. Here, we review work on zooplankton indicator development using long-term data sets across the Baltic Sea and report the main findings. A suite of zooplankton community metrics were evaluated as putative ecological indicators that track community state in relation to Good Environmental Status (GES) criteria with regard to eutrophication and fish feeding conditions in the Baltic Sea. On the basis of an operational definition of GES, we propose mean body mass of zooplankton in the community in combination with zooplankton stock measured as either abundance or biomass to be applicable as an integrated indicator that could be used within the Descriptor 4 in the Baltic Sea. These metrics performed best in predicting zooplankton being in-GES when considering all datasets evaluated. However, some other metrics, such as copepod biomass, the contribution of copepods to the total zooplankton biomass or biomass-based Cladocera: Copepoda ratio, were equally reliable or even superior in certain basin-specific assessments. Our evaluation suggests that in several basins of the Baltic Sea, zooplankton communities currently appear to be out-of-GES, being comprised by smaller zooplankters and having lower total abundance or biomass compared to the communities during the reference conditions; however, the changes in the taxonomic structure underlying these trends vary widely across the sea basins due to the estuarine character of the Baltic Sea.