The macroinvertebrates of a polluted stream in Ghana

There is a limited understanding of the lotic macroinvertebrate fauna of West Africa, although many watercourses are heavily impacted. Macroinvertebrates were sampled from a stream running through Accra, the capital of Ghana, to provide information on the nature of these communities and their response to pollution. The physicochemical pollution gradient in the stream was reflected in the macroinvertebrate community, which showed a similar response to that observed in well studied temperate areas. Heavily polluted sites within the city supported a poor fauna and were dominated by tolerant taxa, such as the Chironomidae. The success of the macroinvertebrate fauna in revealing the pollution gradient and discriminating between sites suggest that there is potential for biological monitoring in such situations.