Study of Zooplankton Diversity of Ganga Lake (GyakarSinyik) of Itanagar, Eastern Himalayas, India, using Foldscope

Abstract

The state of Arunachal Pradesh, in the extreme north east of India is located within one of the global biodiversity hotspots of the world-the Eastern Himalayas. The state is blessed with variety of aquatic resources in the forms of streams, falls, rivers and lakes. Amongst the various freshwater lakes within the state, Ganga Lake (GyakarSinyik) is the only lake, a major wetland in the Papum Pare district and in the Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary as well. An attempt has been made here to prepare a brief account on the zooplanktons found in the only natural lake near the capital city of Itanagar.The lake is at threat from geological point of view because of its location on the top of a hill and weakened banks on the western side and anthropogenic activities. An assessment of the physicochemical characteristics and zooplankton diversity study was done in order to understand and document the present status of the lake. Foldscope is used to identify the various species of zooplanktons found in the lake. The foldscope is aultra-low-cost origami-based portable microscope, and it was used effectively to identify the various zooplankton species. A total of 16 genuses of zooplanktons comprising of 16 species belonging to 3 genera of protozoa, 6 genera of rotifera, 3 genera of cladocera and 4 genera of copepoda were observed during the present study. Physicochemical studies showed that the pH, temperature, DO and other parameters were favourable for biotic sustainability. The conductivity, transparency and turbidity levels observed during the study indicate that the quality of water is fit for aquatic life. The present study provided valuable information on water quality and distribution of various zooplankton communities of the lake.