Can tintinnids be used for discriminating water quality status in marine ecosystems?

Ciliated protozoa have many advantages in bioassessment of water quality. The ability of tintinnids for assessing water quality status was studied during a 7-yearcycle in Jiaozhou Bay of the Yellow Sea, northern China. The samples were collected monthly at four sites with a spatial gradient of envir...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine pollution bulletin 2015-12, Vol.101 (2), p.549-555
Main Authors: Feng, Meiping, Zhang, Wuchang, Wang, Weiding, Zhang, Guangtao, Xiao, Tian, Xu, Henglong
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biodiversity
China
Chlorophyll - analysis
Ciliophora
Ecosystem
Environmental Monitoring - methods
Environmental pollution
Field community
Jiaozhou Bay
Longitudinal Studies
Marine
Marine bioassessment
Marine Biology - methods
Nitrogen - analysis
Phosphates - analysis
Plankton
Salinity
Seawater
Temperature
Tintinnid
Water Quality
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Summary:Ciliated protozoa have many advantages in bioassessment of water quality. The ability of tintinnids for assessing water quality status was studied during a 7-yearcycle in Jiaozhou Bay of the Yellow Sea, northern China. The samples were collected monthly at four sites with a spatial gradient of environmental pollution. Environmental variables, e.g., temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a (Chl a), dissolved inorganic nitrogen, soluble reactive phosphate (SRP), and soluble active silicate (SRSi), were measured synchronously for comparison with biotic parameters. Results showed that: (1) tintinnid community structures represented significant differences among the four sampling sites; (2) spatial patterns of the tintinnid communities were significantly correlated with environmental variables, especially SRSi and nutrients; and (3) the community structural parameters and the five dominant species were significantly correlated with SRSi and nutrients. We suggested that tintinnids may be used as a potential bioindicator for discriminating water quality status in marine ecosystems. [Display omitted] •A 7-year period data of the tintinnid community structures were documented.•The tintinnid communities showed a significant spatial variation among four sites.•Spatial patterns and community structural parameters were significantly related to abiota.•Tintinnids may be used as a potential bioindicator of water quality status.
ISSN:0025-326X
1879-3363
DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.10.059