Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T00:59:13.282Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Distribution and abundance of benthic macroorganisms in and around Visakhapatnam Harbour on the east coast of India

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 November 2014

Amar S. Musale ,
Dattesh V. Desai ,
S. S. Sawant ,
K. Venkat  and
A. C. Anil
Amar S. Musale
Affiliation:
CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, India
Dattesh V. Desai*
Affiliation:
CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, India
S. S. Sawant
Affiliation:
CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, India
K. Venkat
Affiliation:
CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, India
A. C. Anil
Affiliation:
CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, India
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: D. V. Desai, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Benthic communities form an important component of the marine food chain. Their occurrence also provides information on the health of the ecosystem. A study was carried out to understand the distribution and abundance of macrobenthos along with sediment characteristics and physicochemical parameters in Visakhapatnam Harbour, a major port along the east coast of India. In all 84 macrobenthic taxa were reported from the port area of which 60 were polychaetes and 24 were other invertebrate taxa. Our observations revealed an increase in the number of polychaete species observed over the last 20 years from this region. An earlier study reported 38 polychaete species in 1975 and a year later the number of polychaete species reported was 12, indicating an increase in the number of polychaete species in the present study by about 150%. The macrobenthic abundance and dominance of species varied with the seasons. Pre-monsoon was dominated by Cirratulus sp., during monsoon tanaids were dominant indicating a seasonal shift in the occurrence and dominance of macrobenthos. During post-monsoon, Cossura coasta was dominant followed by Nephtys dibranchis and amphipods. Sediment characteristics (sand, silt and clay), organic carbon and dissolved oxygen were the important factors influencing the abundance and species diversity. The abundance of macrobenthic forms also varied with inner and outer harbour region. Higher species diversity was observed in the outer harbour suggesting the outer harbour has semi-polluted conditions such as higher dissolved oxygen (DO) and salinity, low nutrients (nitrite, nitrate and silicate) and low organic carbon in the sediment.

Keywords

MacrobenthospolychaeteVisakhapatnam harboursedimentorganic carbon
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 95 , Issue 2 , March 2015 , pp. 215 - 231
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bismillah, S. (1986) Ecology of macrobenthos in relation to pollution in the north arm in Visakhapatnam harbour. Thesis, Andhra University, Waltair, pp. 59.Google Scholar
Buchanan, J.B. (1984) Sediment analysis. In Holme, N.A. and McIntyre, A.D. (eds) Methods for the study of marine benthos. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications, pp. 41–645.Google Scholar
Clarke, K.R. and Gorley, R.N. (2001) PRIMER v5: User manual/tutorial (p. 91). Plymouth: PRIMER-E Ltd.Google Scholar
Day, J.H. (1967) A monograph on the polychaetes of Southern Africa Part-I and II. Trustees of The British Museum (Natural history), London.Google Scholar
Dean, H.K. (2008) The use of polychaetes (Annelida) as indicator species of marine pollution: a review. Revista de Biologia Tropical 56, 11–38.Google Scholar
Flemer, D.A., Kruczynski, W.L., Ruth, B.F. and Bundrick, C.M. (1999) The relative influence of hypoxia, anoxia, and associated environmental factors as determinants of macrobenthic community structure in a Northern Gulf of Mexico estuary. Journal of Aquatic Ecosystem Stress and Recovery 6, 311–328.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flint, W.P. and Rabalais, N.N. (1980) Polychaete ecology and niche patterns: Texas continental shelf. Marine Ecology Progress Series 3, 193–202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ganapati, P.N. (1969) Biology of pollution in Visakhapatnam Harbour. Marine Pollution Bulletin 16, 1–3.Google Scholar
Ganapati, P.N. and Raman, A.V. (1973) Pollution in the Visakhapatnam Harbour. Current Science 42, 490–492.Google Scholar
Ganapati, P.N. and Raman, A.V. (1979) Organic pollution and Skeletonema blooms in Visakhapatnam harbour. Indian Journal of Marine Sciences 8, 184–187.Google Scholar
Gosner, K.L. (1971) Guide to identification of marine and estuarine invertebrates: Cape Hatteras to the Bay of Fundy. New York, NY: Wiley-Interscience.Google Scholar
Harkantra, S.N. (1982) Studies on sublittoral macrobenthic fauna of the inner Swansea bay. Indian Journal of Marine Sciences 11, 75–78.Google Scholar
Harkantra, S.N. and Parulekar, A.H. (1987) Benthos off Cochin, Southwest Coast of India. Indian Journal of Marine Sciences 16, 57–59.Google Scholar
Harkantra, S.N., Rodrigues, C.L. and Parulekar, A.H. (1982) Macrobenthos off the shelf of North Eastern Bay of Bengal. Indian Journal of Marine Sciences 11, 115–121.Google Scholar
Hoey, G.V., Degraer, S. and Vincx, M. (2004) Macro-benthic community structure of the soft bottom sediments at the Belgium continental shelf. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 59, 599–613.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hyland, J., Balthis, L., Karakassis, I., Magni, P., Petrov, A., Shine, J., Vestergaard, O. and Warwick, R.M. (2005) Organic carbon content of sediments as an indicator of stress in the marine benthos. Marine Ecology Progress Series 295, 91–103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ingole, B.S., Rodrigues, N. and Ansari, Z.A. (2002) Macrobenthic communities of the coastal waters of Dabhol, west coast of India. Indian Journal of Marine Sciences 31, 93–99.Google Scholar
Jayaraj, K.A., Jayalakshmi, K.V. and Saraladevi, K. (2007) Influence of environmental properties on macrobenthos in the northwest Indian shelf. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 127, 459–475.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jayaraj, K.A., Jocob, J. and Kumar, P.K.D. (2008a) Infaunal macrobenthic community of soft bottom sediment in a tropical shelf. Journal of Coastal Research 24, 708–718.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jayaraj, K.A., Sheeba, P., Raichandran, C., Arun, P.K., Praseeda, K.S., Nisha, P.A. and Rasheed, K.A. (2008b) Response of infaunal macrobenthos to the sediment granulometry in a tropical continental margin-southwest coast of India. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 77, 743–754.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johansson, B. (1997) Behavioural response to gradually declining oxygen concentration by Baltic sea macrobenthic crustaceans. Marine Biology 129, 71–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jørgensen, B.B. (1977) The sulfur cycle of a coastal marine sediment (Limfjorden, Denmark). Limnology Oceanography 22, 814–832.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kalavati, C., Raman, A.V., Vaidehi, J. and Barati, V.R. (1997) Pollution effect on planktonic ciliates in Visakhapatnam Harbour (inland). Indian Journal of Marine Sciences 15, 131–132.Google Scholar
Kari, E. (2002) Soft sediment benthic biodiversity on the continental shelf in relation to environmental variability. Marine Ecology Progress Series 232, 15–27.Google Scholar
Kovach, W. (1998) Multi-variate statistical package. Ver. 3.01, Pentraeth.Google Scholar
Mathew, A. and Govindan, K. (1995) Macrobenthos in the nearshore coastal system of Bombay. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India (B: Biological Sciences) 65, 411–430.Google Scholar
Mistri, M., Fano, E.L., Ghion, F. and Rossi, R. (2002) Disturbance and community pattern of polychaetes inhabiting Valle Magnavacca (Valli di Comacchio, Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy). P.S.Z.N. Marine Ecology 23, 31–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murina, G.V.V. (1984) Ecology of Sipuncula. Marine Ecology Progress Series 17, 1–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Musale, A.S. and Desai, D.V. (2010) Distribution and abundance of macrobenthic polychaetes along the South Indian coast. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 178, 423–436.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parsons, T.R., Maita, Y. and Lalli, C.M. (1984) A manual of chemical and biological methods for seawater analysis. Oxford: Pergamon Press.Google Scholar
Rainer, S.F. and Fitzhardinge, R.C. (1981) Benthic communities in an estuary with periodic deoxygenation. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Resource 32, 227–243.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raman, A.V. (1995) Pollution effect in Visakhapatnam Harbour, India: an overview of 23 years of investigations and monitoring. Helgol Meeresunters 49, 633–645.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raman, A.V. and Ganapati, P.N. (1983) Pollution effects on ecobiology of benthic polychaetes in Visakhapatnam Harbour (Bay of Bengal). Marine Pollution Bulletin 14, 46–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raman, A.V. and Ganapati, P.N. (1986a) Benthic polychaete macrofauna and pollution in Visakhapatnam Harbour, India. In Thompson, M.F., Sarojini, R. and Nagbhushanam, R. (eds) Indian Ocean – biology of benthic marine organisms. New Delhi: Oxford & IBH Publishing, pp. 463–484.Google Scholar
Raman, A.V. and Ganapati, P.N. (1986b) Eutrophication in Visakhapatnam Harbour, east coast of India. Indian Journal of Marine Sciences 18, 33–36.Google Scholar
RamaRaju, V.S., Sarma, V.V., Raju, G.R.K. and SubbaRao, V. (1990) Mixing in Visakhapatnam Harbour and nutrient inputs to the nearshore waters, east coast of India. Mahasagar – Bulletin of the National Institute of Oceanography 23, 49–54.Google Scholar
Rathod, V., Bhat, K.L., Sudhakar, U., Sarma, V.V. and Parulekar, A.H. (1995) Pollution impacts on chaetognaths of the Visakhapatnam Harbour and neritic waters, east coast of India. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India 37, 185–190.Google Scholar
Revsbech, N.P. and Jørgensen, B.B. (1986) Microelectrodes: their use in microbial ecology. Advances in Microbial Ecology 9, 293–352.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodrigues, C.L., Harkantra, S.N. and Parulekar, A.H. (1982) Sub-littoral meiobenthos of the northeastern Bay of Bengal. Indian Journal of Marine Sciences 11, 239–242.Google Scholar
Saiz-Salinas, J.I. (1997) Evaluation of adverse biological effects induced by pollution in the Bilbao estuary (Spain). Environmental Pollution 96, 351–359.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sanders, H.L. (1958) Benthic studies in Buzzards Bay, I. Animal sediment relationships. Limnology and Oceanography 3, 245–258.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanders, H.L. (1960) Benthic studies in Buzzards Bay, III. The structure of the soft bottom community. Limnology and Oceanography 5, 138–153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanders, H.L. (1968) Marine benthic diversity: a comparative study. American Naturalist 102, 243–282.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanders, H.L., Goudsmit, E.L. and Hampson, G.E. (1962) Animal-sediment relationship. Limnology and Oceanography 3, 245–258.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sarma, A.L.N. and Ganapati, P.N. (1975) Meiofauna of the Visakhapatnam Harbour in relation to pollution. Bulletin of the Department of Marine Science, University of Cochin 7, 243–255.Google Scholar
Sarma, V.V., Raju, G.R.K. and Bose Babu, T. (1982) Pollution characteristics and water quality in Visakhapatnam Harbour. Mahasagar – Bulletin of the National Institute of Oceanography 15, 15–22.Google Scholar
Snelgrove, P.V.R. and Butman, C.A. (1994) Animal sediment relationship revisited: cause versus effect. Oceanography and Marine Biology Annual Review 32, 111–177.Google Scholar
Sukumaran, S. and Devi, K.S. (2009) Polychaete diversity and its relevance in the rapid environmental assessment of Mumbai Port. Current Science 97, 1439–1444.Google Scholar
Suresh, R.R.V., Patnaik, K.V.K.R.K., Ramesh, U.S. and Misra, S.C. (2012) A study on the seasonal variability of nearshore waves off Visakhapatnam, east coast of India. International Journal of Innovative Research and Development 10, 373–389.Google Scholar
ter Braak, C.J.F. (1995) Ordination. In Jongman, R.H.G., ter Braak, C.J.F. and Van Tongeren, O.F.R. (eds) Data analysis in community and landscape ecology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 91–173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tripathy, S.C., Kusuma Kumari, B.A.V.L., Sarma, V.V. and Ramana Murthy, T.V. (2005) Evaluation of trophic state and plankton abundance from the environmental parameters of Visakhapatnam Harbour and near-shore waters, east coast of India. Asian Journal of Microbiology Biotechnology and Environmental Sciences 7, 831–838.Google Scholar
Wakeel, S.K. and Riley, J.P. (1956) Determination of organic carbon in marine muds. Journal of Du. Conseil International Exploration 22, 180–183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wu, R.S.S. (2002) Hypoxia: from molecular responses to ecosystem responses. Marine Pollution Bulletin 45, 35–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed