Phytoplankton community structure in local water types at a coastal site in north-western Bay of Bengal

Limna Mol, S. Venkatnarayanan, Dilip Kumar Jha, G. Dharani, M. Prashanthi Devi. Seasonal variations influencing the abundance and diversity of plankton in the Swarnamukhi River Estuary, Nellore, India

An integrated approach was used to study the seasonal influence on the abundance and diversity of phytoplankton and zooplankton in the Swarnamukhi River Estuary (SRE) and the adjacent coast covering five stations by collecting monthly samples from the years 2014 to 2017. A total of 54 phytoplankton species conforming to four families and 58 zooplankton species conforming to nine families were recorded. Phytoplankton abundance and richness were high during pre-monsoon (PRM - 56410 cells/L) followed by monsoon (MON – 42210 cells/L). A similar trend was observed in the case of zooplankton, where abundance was recorded high during PRM (124261 ind./m3) followed by MON (111579 ind./m3). Moreover, phytoplankton and zooplankton were dominated by the diatoms and copepods, respectively. Both phytoplankton and zooplankton exhibited significant temporal (F= 26.4, p <0.05) and spatial (F= 32.1, p <0.05) variations. The higher density and abundance were recorded in the inner stations compared to the open sea. The present study reveals that the SRE have a rich diversity which could be attributed to a higher nutrient influx in the inner stations. The anthropogenic discharge from the surrounding aqua farms, agricultural land, and human settlement area could cause concerns for the local flora and fauna if a proper mitigation plan is not evolved through long-term monitoring study in this coastal region. 

Long-term chlorophyll-a dynamics in tropical coastal waters of the western Bay of Bengal

The long-term distribution of in situ optically active substances (OAS), accuracy assessment of satellite retrieved chlorophyll-a (chl-a) and its long-term trend has been carried out at a coastal site of the north-western Bay of Bengal. The temporal distribution of chl-a, total suspended matter (TSM) and absorption due to coloured dissolved organic matter at 440 nm (a_CDOM440) discerned a common peak during southwest monsoon season (August-October). Chl-a also showed a prominent peak during pre-southwest monsoon period (March-April). The spatial variability of TSM and a_CDOM440 was maximum during southwest monsoon, whereas in the case of chl-a, it was during pre-southwest monsoon. The accuracy assessment of chl-a retrieved from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer-Aqua (MODISA), Ocean Colour Monitor-2 (OCM-2) and Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) showed overestimation in nearshore waters. The error in satellite measurement of chl-a was within the range of 33 to 51%. The chl-a retrieved from MODISA was most accurate as indicated by statistical analysis. The long-term trend in satellite chl-a clearly indicated bi-modal distribution with a primary peak during pre-southwest monsoon attributed to recurrent phytoplankton bloom that was mostly confined to nearshore waters. Whereas, the secondary peak in chl-a, during the end of southwest monsoon, spreads far offshore.

Long-term trend and environmental determinants of phytoplankton biomass in coastal waters of northwestern Bay of Bengal

The present study is focused on understanding long-term trend in distribution of chlorophyll-a and its association with water quality parameters in coastal waters of northwestern Bay of Bengal. In situ observations were carried out in monthly frequency during January 2009 to March 2017 at two ecologically important study sites, off Gopalpur and off Visakhapatnam. A bimodal distribution of chlorophyll-a was observed off Gopalpur with primary and secondary peak during pre- and post-monsoon, respectively. In contrast, maximum chlorophyll-a concentration was noticed in monsoon irrespective of sporadic higher magnitudes during pre-monsoon in coastal waters off Visakhapatnam. The pivotal role of river influx and coastal upwelling was discerned in enriching coastal waters off Gopalpur with macronutrients and in turn on chlorophyll-a distribution. Adequate availability of silicate signified favorable condition for diatom growth in coastal waters off Gopalpur leading to preponderance. Influence of coastal upwelling and nutrient-controlled growth of phytoplankton was observed in coastal waters off Visakhapatnam.

Impacts of metal contamination and eutrophication on dinoflagellate cyst assemblages along the Guangdong coast of southern China

Fifty-one surface sediment samples were collected from eleven sea areas along the Guangdong coast in southern China. Biogenic elements, metals and dinoflagellate cysts were analyzed. Twenty-one cyst taxa in 12 genera were identified. The cyst concentrations ranged between 14 and 250 cysts/g, with an average of 69 cysts/g. The low cyst production was caused by coarse sediments, high sedimentation rates, and high anthropogenic disturbances. Biogenic elements were comparable with those reported. However, the metal concentrations were far lower than the sediment quality guidelines. Both biogenic elements and metals were higher in the Mid Coast and lower in the Western Coast. Eutrophication slightly enhanced the productivity of autotrophic dinocysts, and cysts of Scrippsiella indicated eutrophication. Cd had inhibitory effects on cyst production. Alexandrium and Diplopsalis cysts were sensitive to metal contamination; however, Gyrodinium, Pheopolykrikos, and Lingulodinium cysts had high resistance to metal contamination.