Taxonomic composition, spatial distribution and seasonal changes in abundance of ciliates were investigated in hygroarenal (the zone of the beach adjacent to lake littoral and affected by wave action) of the eutrophic Lake Mikołajskie (area 498 ha, max. depth 26 m, Masurian Lake District, Poland). The choosen beach amounted 10.8 × 1.5 m in size and 30 sampling points were distributed according to regular network 60 × 30 cm. Three sampling points were located in each of 10 sampling stations parallel to water line and at an increasing 0, 30, 60 cm distance from it). The small-scale distribution of ciliates was recognized from the set of 30 samples taken once in June 2003 from all stations and sampling points. The seasonal changes of ciliate density were analysed on the set of 41 samples taken from March to November 2004 from the middle sampling points (about 30 cm from water line) in 3 sampling stations. Ciliate community was characterised by relatively high taxonomic richness (56 ciliate taxa) and numbers (up to 2750 ind. cm⁻³ of sand). The numbers of ciliates varied seasonally from 4.6 to 1630 ind. per 1 cm³ of sand, showed three distinct peaks (maximum in summer) and were markedly differentiated among the sampling stations distributed along the 10 m of homogenous beach. Significant correlations between ciliates and the share of largest grain size fraction suggest that grain size of sand may be responsible for the observed spatial heterogeneity of ciliates. Hymenostomes, particularly the omnivorous Pleuronema coronatum Kent, dominated the ciliate assemblages. The statistical analysis showed a significant correlation between ciliate numbers and total phosphorus and total nitrogen concentrations in interstitial water, but there was no correlation with chlorophyll a.
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