Effect of seasonal variation on the diversity of zooplankton in Pulicat Lake, Thiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu, India, and the possible future consequences of climate change

Abstract

This investigation was conducted in Pulicat Lake located off the coast of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India at Latitude 10°59′N and Longitude 76°57′E. It averaged 23 species of zooplankton; three were Copepoda and four Ostracoda; eight were Rotifera and eight Cladocera. Zooplankton is used as an ecological biomarker because it integrates the effects of the aquatic environment within a short time. The current observation shows that as a whole the Ostracoda constituted 7%, Copepoda 29%, Cladocera 29% and Rotifera constituted 35% of the total. It was discovered that the population density was at its peak in the summer and at its lowest in the early monsoon. The greater population density of zooplankton in summer can be attributed to the accelerated rise in lake temperature. However, the zooplankton productivity increased in the summer when the temperature of the lake was increased which proved that temperature affects it. Hence, the quantity of zooplankton that can be generated could be affected by heat that results from climate change. An evaluation of the zooplankton’s diversity would be useful in tracking the health status of the lake.