Distribution of heterotrophic bacterioplankton in the Indian sector of Southern Ocean

Study was carried out on the distribution of bacterioplankton in the Indian sector of Southern Ocean. Total Heterotrophic Bacterial (THB) counts were maximum (107x104/CFU/ml) in water samples collected from 200 m depth and lowest (15.1x103/CFU/ml) at 3730 m. Of the 250 strains isolated from the water samples, 9.2% were gram positive and 4.8% gram negative. The important genera encountered were Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, Vibrio, Acinetobacter, Micrococcus, Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium, Flavobacterium, Chromobacterium, Moraxella, Bacillus and Planococcus. Most of the isolates (94%) were capable of lipase production followed by gelatinase (40%) and amylase (32%)

Is Occurrence of Harmful Algal Blooms in the Exclusive Economic Zone of India on the Rise?

Occurrence, increase in frequency, intensity and spatial coverage of harmful algal blooms during the past decade in the EEZ of India are documented here. Eighty algal blooms were recorded during the period 1998–2010. Of the eighty algal blooms, 31 blooms were formed by dinoflagellates, 27 by cyanobacteria, and 18 by diatoms. Three raphidophyte and one haptophyte blooms were also observed. Potentially toxic microalgae recorded from the Indian waters were Alexandrium spp., Gymnodinium spp. Dinophysis spp., Coolia monotis, Prorocentrum lima, and Pseudo-nitzschia spp. Examination of available data from the literature during the last hundred years and in situ observations during 1998–2010 indicates clear-cut increase in the occurrence of HABs in the Indian EEZ

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: HI" lang="EN-GB">First record of dinoflagellate <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Neoceratium platycorne</i> from the North Eastern Arabian Sea</span>

504-506Neoceratium platycorne (Daday) F. Gomez, D. Moreira, P. Lopez-Garcia is reported for the first time from the North Eastern Arabian Sea (NEAS). Species was observed in the open ocean subsurface waters of NEAS during the late winter monsoon period. Cell density of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">N. platycorne was 10-15 cells L-1. This record will contribute to the phytoplankton checklist of the Indian EEZ