Microzooplankton as an indicator of environmental quality at an industrial complex in the Brazilian Amazon

The large volume of water in the Pará River, together with governmental incentives, has attracted many industries to the city of Barcarena, Brazil. This industrial activity has the potential to cause changes to aquatic environments. Zooplankton species are considered good indicators of environmental changes. We assessed the association between changes in community composition and proximity to an industrial-port complex, and identified potential bioindicator species in these environments. Five quarterly sampling points were selected along the Pará River (P1-P5) in 2012. The zooplankton community in this region is composed of 64 species. The highest total densities were recorded in February and November, which are both during the rainy season. Zooplankton density was greatest at P3, which was near an industrial-port complex, suggesting that industrial activity affected zooplankton density. An IndVal test showed the rotifer Filinia opoliensis (r = 0.86, p = 0.02) to be a possible bioindicator of environmental quality in the study area. This paper contributes to the discussion of the impacts of installing industrial plants and large ports in the Amazon.