BIOINDICATORS IN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT AND THEIR

SIGNIFICANCE

MANICKAVASAGAM, S1., SUDHAN, C2., BHARATHI, 3. AND AANAND, S4.

1
Senior Research Fellow, Aquatic Environment and Health Management Division, ICAR- CIFE,
Mumbai- 400061, India.
2
Ph.D. Scholar, Fisheries Resources, Harvest and Post-Harvest Management Division, ICAR-
CIFE, Mumbai- 400061, India.
3
PG Scholar, Department of Aquaculture, Dr. M.G.R. Fisheries College and Research Institute,
Ponneri, Thiruvallur,Tamil Nadu, India.
4
Assistant Professor and Head, Erode Bhavanisagar Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture –
Bhavanisagar, Erode, Tamil Nadu, India.

ABSTRACT
Bioindicators are organisms or biological processes which indicate altered environmental conditions
and can be used to identify and/or quantify the impact of pollutants on the environment. The
assessment on the status of bioindicators would indirectly provide an estimate of the natural state or
the level/degree of contamination that is present in that particular ecosystem. The bioindicatorsin an
aquatic ecosystem include algae, macrophyte, zooplankton, bivalve mollusks, seabirds and fish that
can be used to assess the contaminants in aquatic system. A biological system provides an indication
regarding the health of its surroundings such as plankton responding rapidly to changes taking
place in the surrounding environment. The variations in the populations of animals may indicate
harmful changes caused due to pollution into the ecosystem. The development of industry and
agriculture promotes the rapid increase in pollution. Bioindicators can be used as an index of
measures or a model that characterizes an ecosystem health.

KEYWORDS: Bioindicators, Plankton,Environment and Contaminants

INTRODUCTION
A bioindicator can be any organism, microbe, plant, fungi or an animal. Microbial indicators
including bioluminescent bacteria, can be used in a variety of ways to detect environmental

J. Aqua Trop. Vol. 34, No. (1) 2019, Pages 73-79

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Corresponding Author E-mail: manickavasagam.1994@gmail.com
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DOI:-http://doi.org/10.32381/JAT.2019.34.01.6
74 Manickavasagam, S., Sudhan, C., Bharathi, and Aanand, S.

pollutants in water. Plants are sensitive tools for prediction and recognition of environmental
stresses. The organisms and their associations can monitor for changes that may indicate the
problem within their ecosystem. The changes can be chemical, physiological, behavioral and
ecological health. Ecological health can be viewed in terms of ecosystems, in which structural
and functional characteristics are maintained. It can be expanded to include many aspects of
human health and well-being. Each organism within an ecosystem has the ability to report on
the health of its environment. Specific physiological and behavioral changes in bioindicators are
used to detect changes in environmental health of an ecosystem. These specific changes differ
from organism to organism and have to be properly studied prior to selecting them as bioindicator.
In general a bioindicator organism or organisms association are introduced to environmental
samples, such as soil or water, and researchers observe any changes that occur as a result of
exposure. Bioindicators can provide information on the cumulative effects of different pollutants
in the ecosystem and about how long a problem may persist, for example: a) abundance of
large marine organism or darkening of coral pigmentation may indicate that a reef has been
exposed to poor quality of water for several weeks or months, b) reduced photosynthesis in
plants or coral may indicate stress due to exposure to herbicides.

Response of organism-types
 Ecological changes: involving changes in population density, key species and species
diversity
 Behavioral changes: changes in feeding activities, bacterial mobility or web spinning
 Physiological changes: accumulation of heavy metal, CO2 production, BOD and microbial
activity

Criteria for selecting bioindicators

 Indicator should have casual relationship to ecological significant endpoint
 Indicator should have specific dose responsiveness to specific stressor i.e. should be
sensitive and specific
 It should be wide temporal and spatial distribution
 Available throughout the year, sedentary, capability, hardy nature, small and easily cultivable,
indigenous or representative
 It should have results which are transparent and reproducible
 Easy to collect and should be cost-effective

Factors governing bioindicator distribution in aquatic environment

 Oxygen availability

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 Bioindicators in Aquatic Environment and their Significance 75

 Temperature and salinity fluctuations

 Sediment and substrate type
 Presence of pollutants such as pesticides, acidic materials, toxic gases and heavy metals.
 Food availability

Common bioindicators in aquatic system

 Microbes
 Phytoplankton and algae
 Macro-invertebrates (Ex: Bivalve and Gastropods)
 Zooplankton( Ex: Rotifer, Cladocerans and Copepods)
 Macrophytes and
 Other animals (Ex: Fishes, Mammals and birds)

Types of bioindicators and their uses:

Microbial indicators:
Microorganisms can be used as indicators of aquatic or terrestrial ecosystem health.
Microorganisms have a rapid growth rate, and react to even low levels of contaminants and other
physicochemical and biological changes. Found in large quantities, microorganisms are easier
to sample than other macro organisms. Microorganisms when exposed to cadmium and benzene
contaminants develop new proteins known as stress proteins which can be used as early warning
signs were reported by (Parmar et al., 2016). These stress proteins can be used as an early
warning system. For example, microbial indicators can be used for testing water; bioluminescent
bacteria can be used to test water for environmental toxins. If there are toxins present in the
water, the cellular metabolism of the bacteria is inhibited or disrupted. This affects the amount of
light emitted by the bacteria. Unlike traditional tests, this one is very quick-taking from five to
thirty minutes to complete. However, it only indicates the presence of a toxin causing the
change in the organism.
Phytoplankton and algae
The presence or absence of certain plant or other vegetative life in an ecosystem can provide
important clues about the health of the environment. Phytoplankton’s have been used for
successful observation of water contamination and are a useful indicator of water quality (Wu,
1984). Plankton are profoundly sensitive to natural change they are best markers of water
quality and particularly lake conditions. One of the reasons planktons are being considered
in lakes is to monitor the water quality of the lake when there are high centralizations of

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76 Manickavasagam, S., Sudhan, C., Bharathi, and Aanand, S.

phosphorus and nitrogen. Diatom are powerful indicator of environmental change and its
emergence as a preferred indicator in monitoring studies (Dixit et al. 1992). Lichens are
often found on rocks and tree trunks. They respond to environmental changes in forests,
including changes in forest structures, air quality, and climate. The disappearance of lichens
in a forest may indicate environmental stresses, such as high levels of sulfur dioxide, sulfur-
based pollutants, and nitrogen.
Animal indicators:
An increase or decrease in an animal population may indicate damage to ecosystem by any

Fig. 1. Plankton indicating pollution

pollution. For example, if pollution causes the depletion of important food sources, animal
species dependent upon these food sources will also be reduced in number. In addition to
monitoring the size and number of certain species, other mechanisms of animal indication
include monitoring the concentration of toxins in animal tissues, or monitoring the rate at which
deformities arise in animal population.
Macro-invertebrates are preferred as bioindicators as they are large enough to be seen with the
unaided eye.for example, bivalve (“Mussel Watch”) and crustaceans for most desirable for studying
the metal pollution. In USA under the Mussel Watch Program, the widespread blue mussel
Mytilusedulis was used to monitor metal pollution since 1986. These bivalves are a good indicator
for coastal pollution due to its wide distribution, easy transfer in other regions for “active”
biomonitoring, high abundances, high accumulation rate of many xenobiotics (DDT, PAH and
PCBs) with longterm monitoring (three years).

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 Bioindicators in Aquatic Environment and their Significance 77

Zooplankton
Zooplankton development and conveyance are subject to abiotic factors such as temperature,
saltiness, stratification, and pollutants and biotic parameters viz., limitation of food, predation
and compétition. Hence, it is identified as an excellent bioindicator to evaluate the contamination
of any coastal and oceanic bodies (Parmar et al., 2016)
Macrophytes
Seaweeds or macro algae (e.g. Fucus spp.) accumulate metals, pesticides and a myriad of
chemicals from seawater. Typha sp. is an indicator for Cadmium (Cd) and Nickel (Ni) pollutant
in inland wetlands and water bodies. Juncus sp. has been identified as a good indicator of Zinc
(Zn) pollution in urban water runoff (Sumampouw and Risjani, 2014). Floating Eichhornia crassipes
for mercury, non-rooted submerged Ceratophyllum demersum and rooted submerged Potomogeton
crispies for assessing heavy metals like cadmium, copper, iron, lead, zinc and manganese in
rivers (Jain et al., 2010). Moss and liverworts can also be used to access heavy metals in
ponds. Wolffia globosa have also shown sensitivity for cadmium and has potential to be used
as indicator of cadmium contamination in lakes ponds and swamps.

Plankton as indicators of fish production in ocean environment

Fragilaria oceanica indicates the presence of oil sardine Sardinella longiceps, Coccolithophores
are the indicators of Herring fisheries and Hemidiscus hardmanianus are indicators of Lesser
sardine.

Recent studies in aquatic bioindicators

The loricate ciliates (Tintinnopsisberoidea and T. uruguayensis) have been recorded to indicate
the eutrophication status in the cochin estuarine and coastal waters (Sivasankar et al., 2018).
Backwater Clam has been identified as an indicator species for monitoring genotoxic agents in
estuarine environment (D’costa et al., 2018). Seagrass (Halophila stipulacea) can used to indicate
the levels of the trace elements (As, Cu, Mn, Cd, Zn & Ni) in sediments (Bonanno and Raccuia,
2018). Limpets (Patella sp) can be used to monitor hydrocarbons, organochlorine and metals in
marine environment (Reguera et al., 2018).

Advantages
 Biological impacts can be determined
 Suitable to monitor synergetic and antagonistic impacts of various pollutants on a creature
 Early stage diagnosis as well as harmful effects of toxins to plants, as well as human
beings, can be monitored
 Easy to count, due to their prevalence

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78 Manickavasagam, S., Sudhan, C., Bharathi, and Aanand, S.

 Comparatively cheaper than other techniques which involve costly procedures and equipment
 The bioindicator is helpful, objective, straightforward, and reproducible

Significance
 Practical way of assessing the health of environment
 Indicates general toxicity of environment and conservation of natural resources
 Monitor the progress of environmental cleanup and test substances, like drinking water for
the presence of contaminants
 Planktonic monitors unite biological, physical, chemical factors, and are utilized as an
important part for evaluating health status of water bodies
 Bioindicators can be utilized at various scales, from the cell to the environmental level, for
assessing the changes taking place in a specific biological community

CONCLUSION
Bioindicator have a remarkable potential in forecasting of disasters, prevention of pollution,
exploration and conservation of natural resources, all aiming at a sustainable development with
minimum destruction of biosphere. It can be applied in predicting the impact of anthropogenic
activities particularly pollutants and predicting environmental changes in a timely manner.They
are also a method of monitoring or detecting the negative impacts that the industrial activity has
on the aquatic environment.
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agents. Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis, 825: 8-14

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*Corresponding Author:
Manickavasagam, S – Senior Research Fellow, Aquatic Environment and Health Management
Division, ICAR- CIFE, Mumbai- 400061, India.

Received : 03.02.2019

Accepted : 27.02.2019

Journal of Aquaculture in the Tropics