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

An Appraisal of the Marine Fisheries of Karnataka and Goa

Karnataka, on the West coast, plays an important role in the fisheries development of India and has a prominent place in the country's fisheries map, It has a shelf area of 25000 Sq. Km. and a coastline of 270 Km, about 1/22 of the country's coastline. The State's contribution to the total marine fish production in the country is of the order of ^.0%. The State has two coastal districts, namely Dakshin Kannada and Uttar Kannada. The lengths of coastline of both the districts are almost the same. Many rivers such as the Nethravathi, the Saravathi and the Kali flow into the Arabian sea and render the inshore area rich in nutrients

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

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

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

Some observations on the beaked sea snake Enhydrina schistosa (Daudin, 1803) in the mudbank area, off Alapuzha, Kerala, southwest coast of India

Hook-nosed sea snake or beaked snake, Enhydrina schistosa were caught during experimental fishing operations in the mudbank region along central Kerala Coast at depths ranging from 6 to 12 m. The sea snakes were found to form aggregations of 5 to 6 numbers and were able to tolerate highly turbid waters. The catfish Arius jella and the puffer fish Lagocephalus inermis were the dominant prey items. mudbanks are unusually calm areas which form along the Kerala coast during the monsoon. The inshore waters including the mudbanks are intense fishing areas of non mechanized crafts during the monsoon. The presence of venomous sea snakes is precarious and there is a need to give awareness programme for the fishers about this danger