2021 MNH Biodiversity Seminar: Dr. Fema M. Abamo
Channel: UPLB MNH
Date: 2021-05-12

Video documentation of the UPLB Museum of Natural History Biodiversity Seminar on "Lake Lanao Biodiversity: Protozoan Ciliates, the Hairy Animalcules" by Dr. Fema M. Abamo of Mindanao State University, Marawi City on 12 May 2021.

SUMMARY OF TALK

One-celled ciliated protozoans are characterized by the presence of hair-like organelles called cilia projecting from cell surfaces. They are known as bioindicators of organic pollution in freshwater ecosystem. Preliminary inventory of ciliates was conducted from five sampling sites in Lake Lanao, Lanao del Sur, namely, in the littoral and pelagic water zones of Marawi City, Ramain, Balindong, Taraka, and Binidayan, Lanao del Sur, across four different seasons; dry (DS), rainy (RS), mixing (MS), and non-mixing (NS). Conical plankton net was used in sampling ciliates. A total of 52 morphologically distinct ciliate species were accounted for in the study and classified across 47 genera. Ciliate abundance was utilized to monitor the water quality of Lake Lanao for 2 years. The lake during DS had the highest ciliate mean abundance (2,308.2cells/m3) and significantly differed from NS with the lowest abundance (721.7cells/m3). Species of Vorticella (30.2%), Coleps (45%) Metacineta (17.2%) and Podophrya (63.3%) topped the ciliate composition in NS, MS, DS, and RS, respectively. Bacterivorous ciliates dominated in NS but replaced by bacteri-omni-algivorous diet in MS; and bacteri-carnivores dominated in DS but succeeded by carnivores in RS. Overall, the ciliate abundance indicated that the water quality of the lake is still healthy in all sites, zones and seasons! Fluctuations in nutrient contents and organic load in the lake as seasons change possibly influenced the spatio-temporal variation of the ciliate abundance, composition, and trophic groups in the lake.