Periphyton is one of the biota that is sensitive to changes in water quality. Periphyton communities can be used as ecological indicators, because some types of periphyton are sensitive or tolerant to pollution, both organic and heavy metal pollution. Periphyton lives by attaching itself to various substrates in the water. Periphyton that lives attached to the surface of plants is known as epiphytic, which can form a mutualistic symbiosis or become a competitor for its host. Periphyton, as biota that attaches itself and settles in its habitat, can better describe changes in water conditions (Ginting et al., 2024). An overview of the abundance or scarcity of periphyton living in a body of water, the types of periphyton that dominate, and the types of periphyton that can live due to certain substances, can provide an overview of the condition of the water.

Periphyton consists of organisms with varying levels of tolerance to pollution, ranging from those that are highly sensitive to those that can survive in polluted conditions. This diversity of tolerance means that changes in the composition of periphyton can reflect the quality of the water, whether it is still in good condition, beginning to experience pollution, or already at a more severe level of pollution. In research (Barat et al., 2023), the dominance of Bacillariophyta shows that the periphyton community is able to adapt well so that the water tends to be stable, while the high presence of Navicula indicates an increase in nitrate concentration in the water, which is consistent with the measured nutrient conditions.

Periphyton communities dominated by Bacillariophyta with fairly high diversity indicate that the water is in a relatively stable condition. The saprobityindex results, which are in the β-MesoOligosaprobic to β-Mesosaprobic phase, confirm that the water is only slightly polluted, with low organic and inorganic loads. The presence of certain genera such as Navicula also indicates the influence of nutrients (such as nitrate) on the structure of the periphyton community.

DAFTAR PUSTAKA

Barat, K., Waters, P., Regency, M., dan Kalimantan, W. 2023. Perifiton Sebagai Bioindikator di Perairan Kawasan Pulau Pedalaman Kabupaten. 07(01): 28–34.

Ginting, R. J., Apriadi, T., dan Zulfikar, A. 2024. Kepadatan Perifiton Epifitik dan Kaitannya dengan Kualitas Perairan di Perairan Senggarang Besar Kota Tanjungpinang Kepulauan Riau. 13(2): 248–256.