Author: Sibendu Dutta & Dr. Koomkoom Khawas
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/PP/020300016
Abstract: Zoo plankton connect primary producers to higher trophic levels and are sensitive bio-indicators of environmental health in freshwater environments. This study studies seasonal zooplankton diversity in suburban Kolkata ponds in Birati, New Barrackpore, Madhyamgram, and Panihati to determine how climatic rhythms, ecological adaptations, and anthropogenic pressures affect community dynamics. Monthly sampling at numerous locations in each pond showed seasonal changes in Rotifera, Cladocera, Copepoda, Ostracoda, and Protozoa abundance and composition. Rotifers, especially Brachionus species, increased in winter due to their adaptability to nitrogen enrichment and lower temperatures. Cladocerans like Diaphanosoma and Moina had pond-specific seasonal peaks, showing niche partitioning and competition. Winter surges of copepods, dominated by Cyclops and Calanus, showed their cold resistance and importance as larval fish food. Ostracods had life-stage-dependent seasonal tactics, while Euglena, Vorticella, and Paramoecium demonstrated ecosystem functioning from a microbiological perspective. Cooler months enhance zooplankton multiplication, although inter-pond variances show the impact of local circumstances including nutrition loading, predation pressure, and microhabitat variety. Despite sewage intrusion, eutrophication, and cultural practices, these complementing seasonal dynamics maintain food web energy transmission and ecosystem stability. Seasonal monitoring is crucial for understanding biodiversity dynamics, fisheries management, water quality evaluation, and conservation strategies in increasingly urbanizing areas. The work shows how long-term zooplankton diversity monitoring in sub-urban West Bengal might reveal freshwater ecosystem resilience and function by merging species-level data with ecological patterns.
Keywords: Zooplankton, Rotifera, Cladocera, Copepoda, Ostracoda, Protozoa.
Page No: 126-136