Nitrate and phosphate dynamics of phytoplankton abundance in Kanceng River, Sepuluh, Bangkalan, East Java, Indonesia

Abstract

The river is a lotic ecosystem with biological, ecological and economical functions essential for human life. Kanceng River is one of the rivers in Bangkalan, where the whiteleg shrimp aquaculture activities are conducted intensively. Thus, it may bring nutrients needed for the survival of the mangrove population as well as the possibility of pollution from inorganic material. Nutrients are substances needed by organisms for the shrimp metabolism. Nutrients in the water affect phytoplankton, which has an important role in the aquatic ecosystem. This research aimed to assess whether the nitrate and phosphate levels affect the phytoplankton abundance in Kanceng River, as well as its correlation to the water quality. The results showed that the trophic status of Kanceng Rivers was included in eutrophic waters with phytoplankton abundance of >15.000 cells/ml. The dominant phytoplankton includes Cyanophyceae (Microcystis, Chlorella) and Eustigmatophyceae (Nannochloropsis) classes.