Abstract

Background: West Bengal is an important place for aquaculture in India, which is the second-largest fish producer in the world. But the fact that fish productivity per hectare is going down in places like Birbhum shows that we need to look at the quality of aquatic ecosystems. Plankton communities are important primary producers and important links in the heterotrophic food chain. They have a direct effect on how fish grow and develop. Methodology: The study followed a standardized, multi-phase framework to evaluate the biological productivity and ecological integrity of 16 selected aquatic ecosystems in the Birbhum district. All procedures, including site selection across eight administrative blocks, were conducted with high academic rigor to ensure reproducibility. Results: A quantitative examination showed clear seasonal trends. The density of plankton was lowest before and during the monsoon, but it rose sharply after the monsoon when the weather became more stable. Functional FCS water bodies kept their best density ranges, such the post- monsoon phase, when they reached up to 6412.66 ± 107.37 No./l. On the other hand, non-functional FCS water bodies had far lower densities, frequently below 3000 No./l, probably because they weren’t managed well when it came to water quality. Conclusion: The results show that bad management in societies that don’t work well hurts plankton productivity. Structured water quality management is suggested to revive plankton development and improve aquaculture potential in these semi-potential areas.

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