Investigation of the effects of fish cage farm on water quality and zooplankton fauna in Kozan Dam Lake (Adana)

The average water quality parameters determined in dam lake were water temperature 16,7 oC ± 0,439, pH 8,22 ± 0,044, electrical conductivity 406,086 µS / cm ± 1,998, dissolved oxygen 7,846 mg / l ± 0,136, phosphate 2,60 mg / l ± 0,135, nitrite 0,121 mg / l ± 0,003, nitrate 6,363 mg / l ± 0,131, ammonium 0,121 mg / l ± 0,005 and chlorophyll-a were 2,979 mg / m3 ± 0,135. Dam lake water quality was determined as first class in accordance to temperature, dissolved oxygen and NH4-N, as second class in accordance to conductivity, pH and NO3-N, and as fourth class in accordance to NO2-N and PO4-P While the water temperature did not change between the cage station and the reference station, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity and chlorophyll-a values were lower in the cage station and ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, orthophosphate and pH were unsignificantly higher. A total of 50 zooplankton species were identified, including 29 species from Rotifera, 15 species from Cladosera and 6 species from Kopepoda. It was determined that the most species (7) is in Brachionidae family, followed by Chydoridae with 6 species and Ameiridae family with 5 species. Asplanchna priodonta, Polyarthra dolichoptera, Bosmina longirostris and Ceriodaphnia pulchella were found at both stations and each month; B. quadridentatus, L. bulla, Leptedora kindtii, C. sphaericus, D. rostrata and M. leuckarti were only found at the cage station; A. fissa, C. adriatica, C. gibba, F. terminalis, H. oxyuris, K. tecta, L. acuminata, L. salpina, T. tetractis, L. leydigi, M. dispar, M. laticornis and N. hibernica were only found at the reference station. In the study, it was determined that the number of species at the reference station was higher for 9 months, while the number of species at the cage station was was higher for 2 months and equal number of species at 1 month. According to the stations, the average amount of zooplankton was abundant in the cage station for 5 months and more abundant in the reference station in 7 months. However, while Rotifera was abundant in the cage station, Kladosera and Kopepoda were more abundant in the reference station.