Exploring the Influence of Water Hyacinth & Water Quality on Fish Count in Laguna Lake: Implications for Predictive Modeling

Laguna Lake is the largest inland body of water in the Philippines and plays a crucial role in the country's fisheries industry. However, the decline in fish production has raised concerns about the sustainability of its fisheries. This study employs multiple linear regression analysis to assess the impact of water hyacinth proliferation, climatic factors, and water quality parameters on fish production in Laguna Lake. Applying a quantitative method, data from various Philippine government agencies were used to measure ecological interactions. Results of the multiple linear regression analysis indicated that biomass has significant effects on dissolved oxygen (DO), fecal coliform (FC), and pH with p -values of <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$0.007,0.000$</tex>, and 0.000, respectively. Whereas temperature and rainfall are both associated with biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), DO, and FC with P-values of 0.011 and <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$0.008,0.020$</tex> and 0.001, and 0.009 and 0.004, respectively. Meanwhile, pH is a reliable indicator of the number of fishes in Rizal (<tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\mathrm{p}=0.015$</tex>) and Laguna (<tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\mathrm{p}=0.018$</tex>); in the case of Laguna, phosphate is also a significant factor (<tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\mathrm{p} {=}0.038$</tex>). Results emphasize the need to manage water hyacinth growth, undertake real-time monitoring of water quality parameters, and integrate predictive modeling to maintain sustainable fish production in Laguna Lake.