Flocking of egrets in shrimp waste drying beaches of Kerala, India

Coastal and sea birds form an integral part of the marine ecosystem. Though occurrence of different avian fauna has been reported sporadically, detailed information on their interactions with the ecosystem is not extensively studied. Bubul cusibis, known as the cattle egret is commonly seen in paddy fields and wetlands in association with grazing cattle to catch the insects from the grassland being disturbed by the moving cattle. In a recent survey in central Kerala, these egrets were seen in flock on the beaches

Fish/prawn seed resources and hydrography in the surf and backwater at Cochin

The present study deals with the seasonal variations of hydrographic parameters and fish and prawn seed and juvenile resources in the intertidal surf zone of the sea and the ajoining backwater at Cochin based on regular monitoring of monthly data for 1996-2001

Estuarine oceanography of the Vembanad lake Part I: The region between Pallipuram (Vaikom) and Thevara (Cochin)

The paper gives the results pertaining to the region between Pallipuram (Vaikom) and Thevara (Cochin) of a detailed estuarine-oceanographic study attempted on the Vembanad lake from Pallipuram in the south to Azhikode in the north. The study was aimed primarily at classifying to what type of estuary the lake belongs. As the two factors almost equally influencing the lake, namely the incursion of salt water from the Arabian sea and fresh water from the rivers, both being by far governed by the monsoon, the major classification was attempted on a seasonal basis

Distribution of phototrophic thionic bacteria in the anaerobic and micro-aerophilic strata of mangrove ecosystem of Cochin

Dense population of epipelic photoautotrophic bacteria were found in the surface sediments during April 1984 to October 1984 in the mangrove ecosystem of Cochin. Pigment analysis by Spectrophotometric techniques re:vealed the structure and relative abundance of the populations. Maximum bacterio-chlorophyll ' a ' was encountered in May (1650.6 mg/m-') whereas bacteriochlorophvll ‘c'and 'd' were found to be more during April 1984(1069.2mg/m-' and 510mg/m-° respectively). The bacterial pigments developed in the anoxic cultures in the present investigation showed absorp' tion maximum at 662 nm, therefore it can be classified as ' Chlorobium dilorophyll 660'. The predominant bacteria were identified as members of the genera Chloronema, Chromatium, Begggiatoa, Thiopedia an d Leucothiobacterla. Unidentified brown Chlorobiaceae were present. Maximal development of the population was found during April 1984. The distribution of oxygen, temperature salinity, pH and Eh profiles were determined. Phototrophic sulfur bacteria ranged from 4.2-19.4% of the total anaerobes isolated. The main factors determining the growth of green sulfur bacteria were light and high sulfide concentration whereas the growth of purple sulfur bacteria was mainly controlled by subdued light and low sulfide concentration during the experimental period

Assimilative capacity of Cochin inshore waters with reference to contaminants received from the backwaters and the upstream areas

Assimilative capacity of inshore waters off Cochin was assessed using data on hydrography, photosynthetic pigments, primary productivity, dissolved nutrients and trace metals collected over a period of three years (April 2003 - October 2006) from selected stations spreading over the source to the sink. Assimilative indices for Cochin estuary and inshore waters off Cochin were worked out and a scale of safe, desirable, caution or critical was attributed with regard to different parameters based on the score. The results revealed that in the estuary, total suspnded solids (TSS) and cadmium have reached critical levels and lead have attained levels of cautiion. Similarly, in the Cochin inshore waters, cadmium have reached critical levels while copper and lead have attained levels of caution

Humic acids in mangrove sediments of Kerala

Total humic acids (THA) content in the sediments of six mangroves located north of Cochin in Kerala along the southwest coast of India during the pre monsoon, monsoon and post monsoon period of 2002 is described in relation to the type of vegetation cover in the area. Annual mean values of THA in the sediments ranged from 1.97 to 5.81 pg/g. Monsoon and post monsoon seasons accounted for higher levels of THA in sediments. Litterfall from Rhizophora spp. contributed more THA (214%) to the sediment than that of Avicennia and other types of mangrove plants. Sediment from within the mangrove patches contained 17- 240% higher THA than the adjacent upstream and downstream areas

Salinity changes in the estuary and the coastal sea adjacent to the portmouth at Cochin

The article deals with the details of salinity changes in the Cochin estuary and its influence and interrelations with the Vembanad lake

Critical marine habitat restoration programme - initiative on mangrove restoration in Kerala, India

Mangroves are unique habitats which function as nursery ground for several valuable species of finfishes and shellfishes and they play a vital role in supporting marine food chains, protecting coastal areas and in improving water quality. Mangroves in general have relatively high productivity and tend to create highly organic soil and also export organic matter to nearby marine environments. They are effective in stabilizing soils in intertidal areas. Some species of mangroves have been planted in the coastal areas as bio-protection shields to guard coastal households from wind and wave action. They provide shelter to several avian fauna which feed on its fruits and nest in the branches. Rare or endangered species of birds have also been documented in the mangroves

Seasonal variation of phytoplankton and productivity in the surf zone and backwater at Cochin

Seasonal variation of phytoplankton abundance and productivity were studied in the surf zone of the sea at Cochin and the Cochin backwater with reference to cell counts, chlorophyll and photosynthesis in relation to hydrographic parameters for a period of two years (Janu- ary 2001 to December 2002). Phytoplankton density and diversity indicated a decline as com- pared to the earlier studies. In the surf zone, diatoms contributed about 99% of phytoplank- ton cells. Seasonal cycles observed in the current and earlier studies indicated that there is no egular seasonal trend in the distribution and abundance of phytoplankton in the nearshore waters. The cell counts and productivity values showed wide fluctuation within the seasons and from season to season. In the surf zone, chlorophyll n content and photosynthetic productivity recorded higher values during southwest monsoon season and in the backwater during postmonsoon period. The study revealed that the surf zone was relatively more productive in terms of cell density and species diversity as compared to the Cochin backwater. Factors influencing fluctuation and abundance of phytoplankton in the nearshore waters are briefly discussed

Soilwater characteristics in certain shrimp farms along the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, India

Alkalinity, salinity, hardness and total suspended solids P S ) in water and organic carbon (OC) content, salinity and cations like sodium and calcium in soils were studied from certain shrimp farming areas along Sirkhazhi, Myladuthurai and Nagapattinam taluk of Tamil Nadu and Karaikal of Pondicherry during September 1995. The culture ponds registered higher levels of total suspended solids (133 mgh), salinity (32 ppt) and hardness (6571 mgil) in water and cation content (4166 ppm a ' ; 2411 ppm ca'3 and salinity (6.77 ppt) in soil samples. The levels of all these parameters were compared with the adjoining no,nculture sites. The variations in the properties of water and soil samples of stocked and nonstocked farms were also studied. The results were analysed statistically to understand any possible inter-relationship between water and soil within the pond as well as among the ponds, their inlets and outlets