Cyanobacteria live in a diverse range of environments with a number of features which contribute to their success. In the present study, the cyanobacterial population of three different ponds of Sivakasi (Virudhunagar district, Tamilnadu, South India) was studied. During the period September 2014 to October 2015, the survey revealed the presence of 59 species of cyanobacteria belonging to 14 genera and four families. The physico-chemical parameters like pH, temperature, carbonate, bicarbonate, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, total phosphorus, inorganic phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, chloride and algal flora were studied in all the three water sources. In all the three pond systems, the species observed were Lyngbya, Oscillatoria, Phormidium, Microcystis, Synechococcus, Gloeocapsa, Synechocystis, chroococcus, Arthospira, Nostoc, Anabaena, Spirulina, Plectonema and Aphanocapsa were found to be predominant with 80 %. High representation of these species indicates their capacity to thrive in this type of man-made habitat. It is clear that physico-chemical characters together with biological monitoring provide converging lines of evidence for evaluation of polluted habitat. The present work would be helpful for future pollution abatement programs.
