A review of the ecological impacts of water pollution on lakes: From diatom assemblages to migratory bird population declines

Lakes are key freshwater ecosystems that maintain the biodiversity, regulate nutrient cycles, and provide habitat for migratory birds. Their ecological well-being is greatly impacted by water quality, which affects the composition and productivity of primary producers such as diatoms. Diatoms are sensitive bio-indicators that respond spontaneously to the changing physical, chemical, and biological parameters. The dynamics of their communities extend through food webs, affecting fish, zooplankton, and, eventually, migratory bird populations. This review outlines the current scientific understanding regarding the relationships between bird communities, diatom ecology, and lake water quality, with a focus on case studies from Tamil Nadu and India. It has been demonstrated that major water quality stressors such as pollution, eutrophication, salinisation, and hydrological changes, disturb diatom assemblages, decrease the availability of prey, and deteriorate vital migratory bird stopover and breeding habitats.