PHYTOPLANKTON IN RELATION TO WATER QUALITY OF TANGUAR HAOR ECOSYSTEM, BANGLADESH: I. RAUAR STATION

Abstract

The water quality at Rauar station of Tanguar Haor, Sunamganj was
assessed studying phytoplankton and associated environmental variables. The
environmental variables were monitored over a period of one year, collecting
samples at two months interval between March, 2017 and March, 2018. Air
temperature, rainfall, and humidity ranged from 22.6 - 32.1°C, 48 - 76% and 8 -
930 mm, respectively. Air temperature showed a direct relationship with water
temperature which varied from 22.4 - 31.0°C during the study period. The water
transparency remained relatively constant throughout the year having a mean
Secchi depth (Zs) value of 2.48 m. Total dissolved solids (TDS), conductivity, and
pH of the water ranged from 51 - 85 mg/l, 60 - 110 μS/cm, and 7.2 - 9.7,
respectively. In December, because of a temperature fall, the dissolved oxygen
(DO) concentration of the water reached its maximum value of 6.09 mg/l. In the
rest of the period, the concentration remained between 2.44 and 4.80 mg/l. The
value of alkalinity ranged from 0.43 - 1.35 meq/l. Among the nutrients, soluble
reactive phosphorus (SRP), soluble reactive silicate (SRS), and NO3-N ranged
from 5.43 - 36.43 μg/l, 4 - 14.58 mg/l, and 0.06 - 0.31 mg/l, respectively. The
concentration of NH4+ ranged from 238 - 1230 μg/l. The highest concentrations
(905 and 1230 μg/l) occurred between September and December, 2017. This
might be attributed to the higher density of migratory birds during that period.
The phytoplanktonic biomass expressed as chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) ranged from
1.35 - 8.45 μg/l while its degraded product phaeophytin concentration ranged
from 0.08 - 3.5 μg/l. The standing crop of phytoplankton ranged from 397 - 2480 ×
103 individuals/l of haor water exhibiting its maximum abundance in September.
This parameter showed a highly significant positive correlation with SRP. From
the correlation analysis, the degradation of chl-a to phaeophytin was found to be
temperature dependent. Considering the different physicochemical and
biological water quality data, it could be said that the Tanguar Haor is still free
from organic pollution. However, the range of soluble reactive phosphorus data
(5.43 - 36.43 μg/l) show that the Haor has been passing a meso-eutrophic state.