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Composition and distribution of planktonic ciliates with indications to water quality in a shallow hypersaline lagoon (Pulicat Lake, India)

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Abstract

Planktonic ciliate composition and distribution together with physicochemical variables were investigated in a shallow hypersaline lagoon, Pulicat, India, during three seasons, i.e., pre-monsoon (PRM), monsoon (MON), and post-monsoon (POM). The low freshwater inflow, evaporation, and closure of the lake mouth were the main factors for the hypersaline conditions in Pulicat Lake. The average depth and salinity were 1.8 ± 0.12 m (0.8 to 2.8 m) and 35.3 ± 1.68 (12.5 to 61), respectively. A total of 29 ciliate taxa belonging to 18 genera and five classes were identified. Strombidium conicum (24%) was the dominant species followed by Euplotes sp. (10.7%) and Stenosomella sp. (7.02%). Spirotrichea (84%) was the dominant class followed by Oligohymenophorea (9.6%) and Heterotrichea (5.8%). Fabrea salina, a typical species in hypersaline systems, was abundant at locations where the salinity was more than 35. Multivariate analysis using the Bray–Curtis similarity, followed by SIMPROF (Similarity Percentage Analysis), on ciliate abundance data revealed three ciliate assemblages characterizing south, central, and north of the lake at 40% similarity (SIMPROF, cophenetic correlation = 0.622, P = 5%). Both ciliate abundance and chlorophyll-a were positively correlated with salinity. Species richness and evenness were higher in the south sector when compared with those in the other two sectors. Biotic-environmental interaction through canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) inferred that the combined effects of salinity, chlorophyll-a, and nutrient levels are the key factors responsible for the distribution of the ciliate species, suggesting that ciliates can be considered to be potential bioindicators of water quality.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India; and Director, National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), MoES, Government of India, for the financial support and facilities during the study period. This study is a part of the MoES-NCCR comprehensive project on “Ecosystem Based Services of Pulicat Lake.”

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  1. National Centre for Coastal Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, NIOT Campus, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600100, India

    Charan Kumar Basuri, Ezhilarasan Pazhaniyappan, Kumaraswami Munnooru, Muthukumar Chandrasekaran, Ranga Rao Vinjamuri, Ramu Karri & Ramanamurthy Venkata Mallavarapu

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Basuri, C.K., Pazhaniyappan, E., Munnooru, K. et al. Composition and distribution of planktonic ciliates with indications to water quality in a shallow hypersaline lagoon (Pulicat Lake, India). Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 18303–18316 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08177-6

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