Diatom assemblages as indicators of water quality in freshwater habitats in Guam
Zolan WJ. 1981. Diatom assemblages as indicators of water quality in freshwater habitats in Guam. Water and Energy Research Institute Technical Report No. 29. University of Guam. Mangilao, Guam
Attached diatom assemblages were analyzed in 5 fresh water bodies on Guam to identify any correlation of community assemblage with water quality. Diatoms were allowed to colonize glass slides for 10-14 days, and slide-attached communities, natural surface-attached communities (sand, rock, and plants), and water quality samples were taken. Community composition in water bodies with urban runoff differed from those without; assemblages contained fewer species & were nominated by Nitzschia palea (in extreme cases, diatoms were replaced by fliamentous blue-green algae). In very low-nutrient ponded habitats, species assemblages were dominated by Gomphonema parvulum, and slide coverage was very low. In small rivers unaffected by urban runoff, assemblages were diverse and dominated by G. clevei. Results were similar in all 3 sites over time, indicating that distinct assemblages exist according to water quality & habitat type.