Periphyton in the Everglades

The shell of Eustrombus gigas in its natural habitat is covered by periphyton.

Periphyton is a complex mixture of algae, cyanobacteria, heterotrophic microbes, and detritus that is attached to submerged surfaces in most aquatic ecosystems. It serves as an important food source for invertebrates, tadpoles, and some fish. It can also absorb contaminants; removing them from the watercolumn and limiting their movement through the environment. The periphyton is also an important indicator of water quality; responses of this community to pollutants can be measured at a variety of scales representing physiological to community-level changes.

Periphyton communities are used in aquaculture food production systems for the removal of solid and dissolved pollutants. Their performance in filtration is established and their application as aquacultural feed is being researched.

One of periphytons dangers stems from urbanization. Increased turbidity levels associated with urban sprawl can detach periphytons from the rocks they live on and kill them. Since they are important in taking in harmful chemicals this results in an increase in harmful chemicals, thus perpetuating turbidity

[edit] External links

• Marine Biological Laboratory Sustainable Aquaculture Initiative Developing plant-based fish diets and pond management protocols for the Comprehensive Development Project (CODEP) in L’Acul, Haiti

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