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NISCAIR ONLINE PERIODICALS REPOSITORY (NOPR) >
NISCAIR PUBLICATIONS >
Research Journals >
Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences (IJMS) >
IJMS Vol.40 [2011] >
IJMS Vol.40(6) [December 2011] >
| Title: | Utility of benthic diversity in assessing the health of an ecosystem |
| Authors: | Murugesan, P.
Muniasamy, M.
Muthuvelu, S.
Vijayalakshmi, S.
Balasubramanian, T. |
| Keywords: | Benthic biodiversity
Water quality
Tuticorin Bay
Thermal plant discharges
ABC–Plot |
| Issue Date: | Dec-2011 |
| Publisher: | NISCAIR-CSIR, India |
| Abstract: | Impact of thermal plant discharges on benthic
community of Tuticorin Bay and Vaan Island was studied during the period of August 2007 to July 2008. Water quality
parameters and heavy
metals such as Cd,
Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn and Cr in sediment were estimated. As regards biological entity, there
were four benthic faunal groups, of this; polychaetes topped the list in terms
of abundance in both the regions followed by gastropods, crustaceans and
bivalves. Faunal density varied from 552 to 10, 311nos. /m2 in Tuticorin Bay and 355 to 15, 447nos./m2
in Vaan Island. Maximum density was found during summer season and minimum
during monsoon season. Diversity and richness values were also more in Vaan
Island than Tuticorin Bay. Cluster and MDS plots drawn showed that stations of
Tuticorin Bay and Vaan Island formed group themselves indicating dissimilarity in
their faunal composition and its abundance. BIO-ENV method revealed that
temperature, pH, copper and zinc in
Tuticorin Bay and zinc and salinity in Vaan Island, as best variable
combinations influencing the benthic faunal distribution. |
| Page(s): | 783-793 |
| CC License: |  CC Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India |
| ISSN: | 0975-1033 (Online); 0379-5136 (Print) |
| Source: | IJMS Vol.40(6) [December 2011]
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