Algal ecology of çağiş pond

The algal composition and some physical and chemical variables of the Çağış Pond, a shallow pond located in the campus of Balıkesir University, were investigated between August 2023 and May 2024. Seasonal samples of epilithic, epiphytic, epipelic, and planktonic algae were collected at three stations representing the inlet, transition, and deep zones of the pond. A total of 92 species were identified during the study: 35 species belonging to the Chlorophyta group, 30 to Heterokontophyta, 21 to Cyanobacteria, 2 to Charophyta, 2 to Euglenozoa, 1 to Miozoa, and 1 to Cryptophyta. Among the identified species, 38% belonged to Chlorophyta, 33% to Heterokontophyta, 23% to Cyanobacteria, 2% to Charophyta, 2% to Euglenozoa, 1% to Miozoa, and 1% to Cryptophyta. The most dominant species in the Chlorophyta group were Tetrabaena socialis (Dujardin) H. Nozaki & M. Itoh in November 2023 and Ettlia pseudoalveolaris (T.R. Deason & H.C. Bold) J. Komárek in May 2024. The dominant species in the Heterokontophyta group were Cyclotella meneghiniana Kützing in May 2024, Gomphonema gracile Ehrenberg emend van Heurck in January 2024, and Nitzschia palea (Kützing) W. Smith in May 2024. During the study period, the water temperature ranged from 7.2 to 28.8 ºC, electrical conductivity values ranged from 0.138 to 0.470 mS/cm, TSS values from 0.1618 to 0.6986 g/L, TDS values from 12.9 to 20 mg/L, pH values from 7.2 to 10.48, dissolved oxygen values from 0,40 to 21,58 mg/L, Secchi disk depth from 5 to 28 cm, chlorophyll-a values from 0.111 to 19.805 µg/L, nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃-N) values from 0.00 to 10.00 mg/L, nitrite-nitrogen (NO₂-N) values from 0.00 to 0.10 mg/L, phosphate-phosphorus (PO₄-P) values from 0.50 to 1.00 mg/L, alkalinity from 7.00 to 11.00 mg/L, and hardness from 7.00 to 14.00 mg/L.