Abiotic factors modulate algal diversity in contaminated water of Cuttack, Odisha, India

Cuttack, one of Odisha's oldest district, is known as the Millennium City and located at 20.4625° N latitude and 85.8830° E longitude. It was selected for our research due to its high pollution levels and the prevalence of algae in contaminated water. In this regards, four collection sites were chosen viz. S1 (Badambadi), S2 (Jagatpur), S3 (Nischintakoili), and S4 (Salipur). Samples were collected in sterilized falcon tubes and analysed for physicochemical parameters viz. DO, pH, and temperature in the laboratory. Using a Leica dm 750 microscope and Leica ICC50 HD camera, we identified algal species based on their morphological characteristics with the help of monographs and algal databases. The study revealed a significant algal diversity of 30 species under 5 divisions (Cyanobacteria, Bacillariophyta, Charophyta, Chlorophyta, Euglenophyta), 15 orders including 19 families, and 22 genera. Moreover, the present study revealed that Bacillariophyta showed the highest diversity among others. Specifically, we found 6 species of Cyanobacteria, 16 of Bacillariophyta, 2 of Charophyta, 5 of Chlorophyta, and 1 of Euglenozoa. Notably, the present study revealed that five species were recorded for the first time from Odisha namely Kamptonema cortianum, Halamphora veneta, Tabularia fasciculata, Micractinium pusillum, Navicula sacrophagus. Furthermore, our study suggested that these algal species may be exploited as a promising feedstock for future biofuels and biodiesel production as well as phycoremediation and therapeutic intervention in the future.