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Periphytic Diatoms (periphytic + diatom)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Earth and Environmental Science	28%

Selected Abstracts

Assessment of European streams with diatoms, macrophytes, macroinvertebrates and fish: a comparative metric-based analysis of organism response to stress

FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 9 2006
DANIEL HERING
Summary 1. Periphytic diatoms, macrophytes, benthic macroinvertebrates and fish were sampled with standard methods in 185 streams in nine European countries to compare their response to degradation. Streams were classified into two main stream type groups (i.e. lowland, mountain streams); in addition, the lowland streams were grouped into four more specific stream types. 2. Principal components analysis with altogether 43 environmental parameters was used to construct complex stressor gradients for physical,chemical, hydromorphological and land use data. About 30 metrics were calculated for each sample and organism group. Metric responses to different stress types were analysed by Spearman Rank Correlation. 3. All four organism groups showed significant response to eutrophication/organic pollution gradients. Generally, diatom metrics were most strongly correlated to eutrophication gradients (85% and 89% of the diatom metrics tested correlated significantly in mountain and lowland streams, respectively), followed by invertebrate metrics (91% and 59%). 4. Responses of the four organism groups to other gradients were less strong; all organism groups responded to varying degrees to land use changes, hydromorphological degradation on the microhabitat scale and general degradation gradients, while the response to hydromorphological gradients on the reach scale was mainly limited to benthic macroinvertebrates (50% and 44% of the metrics tested correlated significantly in mountain and lowland streams, respectively) and fish (29% and 47%). 5. Fish and macrophyte metrics generally showed a poor response to degradation gradients in mountain streams and a strong response in lowland streams. 6. General recommendations on European bioassessment of streams were derived from the results. [source]

The use of periphytic diatoms as a means of assessing impacts of point source inorganic nutrient pollution in south-eastern Australia

FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2006
JOCELYN DELA-CRUZ
Summary 1. Periphytic diatoms are used as indicators of water quality because their ecological tolerances or preferences to environmental variables are thought to be predictable. However, much of the present autecological information for periphytic diatoms has been derived from studies conducted in the northern hemisphere. In this present study we used periphytic diatoms to determine the impacts of inorganic nutrient pollution in a tidal river system in the temperate latitudes of south-east Australia. In so doing, we assess the suitability of the use of the ,northern hemisphere' ecological tolerance/preference data for periphytic diatoms. 2. Artificial substrates were used to collect periphytic diatoms at 35 sites, which were positioned along the riverbanks and the middle of the river at various distances upstream and downstream of the sewage outfall. The sampling design took into account tidal excursions and the observed sewage plume dynamics. Periphytic diatoms were collected during the austral winter month of August and the austral spring months of September and October. We deployed the artificial substrates for 4 weeks to allow the periphytic diatoms to recruit and colonise, before identifying and enumerating the assemblages. 3. Data analysis included two approaches: multivariate visualisations of combinations of environmental and biological data to investigate shifts in species structure of the periphytic diatom assemblage and multimetric indices based on ecological tolerance/preference data. 4. We found that the spatial patterns inferred from multivariate and multimetric analyses were consistent. Temporal variation in the composition of the periphytic diatom assemblage was greater than the spatial variation along horizontal sections of the river (in any one deployment) due mainly to shifts between winter and spring species. 5. Outfall effects were most apparent in winter, possibly because subsequent deployments were swamped by growth of spring periphytic diatoms. The outfall effects included a shift towards pollutant tolerant species and a reduction in the variability of the periphytic diatom assemblage across the river. 6. We conclude that the use of periphytic diatoms and associated ecological tolerance/preference data as a means of assessing impacts of point source inorganic nutrient pollution is effective. An understanding of river and sewage flow patterns is essential to the design of appropriate monitoring programmes and to the interpretation of results, especially as periphytic diatoms are sensitive to many environmental variables. [source]

Evaluation of indigenous marine periphytic Amphora, Navicula and Cymbella grown on substrate as feed supplement in Penaeus monodon postlarval hatchery system

AQUACULTURE NUTRITION, Issue 2 2009
H. KHATOON
Abstract Three isolated marine diatoms (Amphora, Navicula and Cymbella) grown on substrate were evaluated as feed supplement for Penaeus monodon postlarvae (PL) in hatchery system for a period of 19 days without changing water. Specific growth rate (day,1) (0.27 ± 0.0) and survival (%) (56.3 ± 1.8) of PLs were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in treatment tanks when compared with the control (0.20 ± 0.0; 36.0 ± 1.5, respectively). Shrimp PLs reared in substrate-based tanks had significantly higher (P < 0.05) levels of protein, lipid (521.0 ± 7.0; 304.0 ± 2 g kg,1 dry weight, respectively), ecosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (189.0 ± 2.0; 176.0 ± 2 g kg,1 of total fatty acid, respectively) than the control (435.0 ± 22.0; 258.0 ± 22 g kg,1 dry weight; 172.0 ± 5.0; 152 ± 2 g kg,1 total fatty acid, respectively). The periphytic diatoms contained protein and lipid (430,490; 230,260 g kg,1 dry weight, respectively), EPA (30,150 g kg,1 of total fatty acids), DHA (20,30 g kg,1 of total fatty acids) and nine essential amino acids. The results showed that isolated marine periphytic diatoms grown on substrate could be used as feed supplement in enhancing the growth and survival of P. monodon postlarvae. [source]

Effects of salinity on the growth and proximate composition of selected tropical marine periphytic diatoms and cyanobacteria

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 9 2010
Helena Khatoon
Abstract Marine periphytic cyanobacteria and diatoms have been examined as a potential source of feed supplement for rearing aquatic larvae in the aquaculture industry. Culture of the periphytic diatom Amphora sp., Navicula sp., Cymbella sp. and the cyanobacteria Oscillatoria sp. at different salinities showed significant changes in biomass and specific growth rates. Diatoms growth was significantly higher at 35 g L,1, while for cyanobacteria growth was better at 25 g L,1. Significantly higher levels of protein and lipid were found in diatoms at low salinities (15,25 g L,1) and an increase in carbohydrate at high salinities (30,35 g L,1). Conversely, cyanobacteria showed a significantly higher lipid content at 30,35 g L,1 compared with other salinity levels but no significant changes were observed in the protein and carbohydrate contents at different salinity levels. The present findings can be taken into consideration when culturing marine periphytic Amphora sp., Navicula sp., Cymbella sp. and Oscillatoria sp. to provide appropriate levels of protein, lipid and carbohydrate as feed supplement as well as for bioremediation in aquaculture. [source]