QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATION OF PROTOZOA FROM SANDY SUBSTRATES

A rapid method for the quantitative estimation of protozoa populations in sand is described and compared with the seawater-ice technique. The method involves the gentle shaking of sand samples in filtered seawater and staining with Acridine Orange for counting under a fluorescence microscope. Apart from the fluorescence equipment no specialized apparatus is required and a large number of samples may be treated simultaneously. Since Acridine Orange is not a vital stain pre-fixing in 5% formalin is possible enabling samples to be stored prior to extraction. The results of a study of the distribution and abundance of protozoa on two beaches in the eastern Cape Province of South Africa are presented as an illustration of the method. © 1979.