Open AccessEvidence for Control of Water Quality in Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus Ponds by Phytoplankton Biomass and Sediment Oxygenation
Author(s) -
Hargreaves John A.,
Tucker Craig S.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of the world aquaculture society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1749-7345
pISSN - 0893-8849
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-7345.1996.tb00590.x
Subject(s) - ictalurus , phytoplankton , water quality , sediment , phosphorus , catfish , biomass (ecology) , environmental science , secchi disk , chlorophyll a , biology , nutrient , environmental chemistry , zoology , ecology , fishery , eutrophication , chemistry , botany , paleontology , organic chemistry , fish <actinopterygii>
A data set describing annual variation of water quality in ten commercial channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus ponds was subjected to exploratory statistical analysis to infer ecological processes affecting pond water quality. Two factors explained 67% of the variation in concentrations of water quality variables. The first factor (Factor 1) explained 49% of the variance and was associated with a large negative loading by total ammonia‐nitrogen and large positive loadings by total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chemical oxygen demand, and chlorophyll a . Factor 1 was interpreted with respect to factor loadings to represent the effect of phytoplankton biomass. The second factor (Factor 2) explained an additional 18% of the variance and was associated with a large negative loading by soluble reactive phosphorus and large positive loadings by nitrite‐nitrogen and, to a lesser extent, nitrate‐nitrogen. Factor 2 was interpreted to be related to variation in pond sediment oxygenation. Although factor analysis indicated the overwhelming effect of phytoplankton biomass on water quality, opportunities for management of phytoplankton communities in large commercial aqua‐culture ponds are limited. However, maintenance of an oxidized sediment‐water interface may improve water quality by limiting the diffusion of reductant‐soluble phosphorus from sediment to water and increasing sediment nitrification rates.