Seasonal Variation in Abundance, Distribution and Environmental Impacts of Geomicrobiological Communities in the Lower Calabar River Channel, Calabar, Nigeria

Abstract

Microbes act as geochemical agents for the degradation of environmental contaminants hence their abundance and distribution influences ecological response to pollution stress in soils, sediments, and rivers systems and in environmental protection. In this paper seasonal variation in geomicrologicl abundance in the river water, sediments and adjoining soils have been assessed. The results indicate a higher microorganism count during the wet season. The presence of E. coli in 100ml of water implies that water is unsuitable for any domestic use without disinfection. The Faecal and Total Coliform counts also indicate that undesirable sources are contaminating the river and posing environmental health risk. However environmental self-remediation and possible absence of sources of the microorganisms was promoted during the wet season than the dry season.