Phytoplankton Response to Anthropogenic and Recreational Activities in The Watershed of a Resort Centre in Edo State, Southern Nigeria

Abstract

Recreation is an activity of leisure for pleasure, enjoyment or amusement for the purpose of refreshing the mind and body after work. 1 Recreation which is an important part of human life is of different types depending on the interest of an individual. 2 Recreational activities can be solitary or communal, passive or active, indoors or outdoors, harmful or healthy and useful or detrimental. They include reading, watching movies, sports, listening and playing music, swimming, fishing, cycling, running and travelling. However, some recreational activities like gambling and recreational drug use go against the law while most outdoor recreational activities have been found to be physically and socially rewarding. 3 Arising from the several health benefits of physical recreational activities which include reduction in risk of osteoporosis, cancer and obesity, 4 many recreational centres organized by public institutions, agencies and private groups also preserve the ecological and historical integrity of such centres while also making money in the process. Good examples of this are national parks, monuments and resorts. It is however interesting to note that in the course of carrying out most outdoor physical recreational activities which involve contact with the water like swimming, canoeing, sport fishing, etc, the phytoplankton,