Study of prevalence of free-living protozoa from Jayakwadi dam, Aurangabad, Maharashtra

Protozoa are single-celled eukaryotes found throughout the world. The majority of species from protozoan are free-living while many others are with host organisms. They play an important role in the ecosystem and are playing a crucial role as an indicator of pollution. Protozoa may help in water quality improvement. The occurrence of protozoa in biodiversity varies in different localities, because of environmental makeup and related changes. The presence, absence, distribution, and abundance all depend upon the water bodies where they live. The factors that may influence their presence and abundance are temperature, pH, and some other chemical compositions of water bodies. The study deals with the free-living protozoa residing in a freshwater body called Jaykwadi dam (Nathsagar dam). The minute size, duplication, and development of various stages facilitate their wide distribution in all possible environmental conditions.