Bioindicators for indicating quality of freshwater ecosystem

Abstract

Planktons are biological indicators which are utilized to screen the health of the natural ecosystem in the environment by assessing the quantitative dominant genus to monitor the seasonal variation of water quality in freshwater ecosystems. Green algae in division Chlorophyta including Cosmarium sp., Micrasterias sp. and Staurastrum sp., and division Chrysophyta such as Cyclotella sp., Cymbella sp. and Eunotia sp. can be used as indicators for good quality of water. However, blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria in division Cyanophyta such as Cylindrospermopsis sp., Oscillatoria sp. and Microcystis aeruginosa are used to determine polluted water and warning signal of eutrophication. Furthermore, the assessment of water quality by using dominant phytoplankton species with AARL-PP Score (Applied Algal Research Laboratory-Phytoplankton) which is not required chemical reagents or apparatus can used with more than 95% of accuracy compared with physical and chemical water quality tests.