Studies on zooplankton diversity in Powai reservoir, Mumbai
Singh AS, Talpade MB
Zooplanktons are the smallest organisms present in almost all the water body. They invariably form an integral component for fresh water communities and contribute significant to biological productivity. A study was carried out to examine the diversity and density of zooplankton in Powai (Mumbai, Maharashtra) reservoir, India. In present work, various physico-chemical parameters and zooplankton biodiversity of Powai lake was studied. It was observed that the water quality of the Powai Lake is badly affected by the effluent and untreated sewage from nearby area, which has resulted in inclining the zooplankton biodiversity. The representative species of Rotifers, copepods, Cladocerans, protozoan, and ostracoda in the lakes were also found. Though high number of zooplankton species were recorded from Powai lake. The comparative limnology of these lakes gives new insights into the correlation of physicochemical properties with the zooplanktons biodiversity. The objectives of the present study were to provide a preliminary knowledge on the productivity and diversity of zooplanktons which can be utilized to improve the productivity of the reservoir.