Physico-chemical Characterisitcs and Phytoplankton diversity in some fresh water bodies of Goa, India

Abstract

The freshwater bodies on the surface of globe are environmental assets. They harbour organisms that generate oxygen in the surrounding environment which is utilized by members of all trophic levels. These aquatic assets also provide habitats to a large number of diverse aquatic organisms. Rapid industrialization and urbanization has greatly decreased the available water resources in India. This paper describes physico-chemical characteristics of four fresh water bodies viz., Syngenta Lake, Khandola Pond, Lotus Lake and Curtorim Lake in Goa, India along with their phytoplankton diversity. Seventy one algal species belonging to five classes were identified from the study sites. Seasonal variations were observed in most of the physico-chemical parameters and they were above environmentally acceptable limits. Excepting Khandola Pond, the sites were affected by pollution.