Fattening of mud crab: an approach of aquasilviculture in Andaman Islands

During September - December 2004, mud crab fattening was attempted in tide-fed earthen ponds in Lakshmipur (North Andaman) and Bamboo Tickri (Middle Andaman) with mangroves such as Rhizophora mucronata, R. apiculata and Avicennia marina, covering 60 to 80% of the total pond area. Water crabs of Scylla tranquebarica, S. olivacea and S. serrata, each weighing 500 - 1500 g were stocked in the pond at a density of 0.5 kg/m2 with suitable hideouts to reduce cannibalism. In 30 to 35 days, 85% survival was obtained with 8% weight increment. This paper outlines the measures that may be adopted for practicing aquaculture in mangroves

Assessment of post tsunami coral reef resource in Pongi Balu coast, south Andaman Islands

In the present study, an assessment of the status of coral reefs along the Pongi Balu coast, south Andaman Islands, which is a part of the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, has been made by scuba diving, low draft glass-bottom boat and visual interpretation in some places during low-tide condition. The coral reef boundaries have been accurately determined with the help of a low draft glass-bottom boat fitted with a real time kinematics global positioning system, and the existing coral reefs map of the area has been updated using the geographic information system technique. A total of 161.6 ha of previously existed live coral reefs were surveyed along the Pongi Balu coast and out of that ‘live coral’ was found over 81.4 ha and ‘dead coral’ was found over 60.6 ha whereas 19.6 ha area was found to have been lost from the existing coral reefs and categorized as ‘no coral’. The study highlights a few natural and anthropogenic factors affecting the existing coral reefs and hindering the re-establishment of coral reefs in the study area

Prevention of Acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) mediated biofilm formation by selected flora of Andaman & Nicobar Islands

2101-2106Acyl homoserine lactones (AHL) are inter-cellular signal molecules and it controls the population density dependent growth behavior of bacteria in a biofilm. The AHL mediated biofilm formation and its inhibition was evaluated using methanol (MeOH), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-butanol (n-BuOH) and aqueous (H2O) fractions of 12 marine flora of Andaman and Nicobar Islands with fouling Vibrio sp., isolated from root surface of mangrove. <span style="color:black;mso-font-kerning:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">The 12 fractions were assayed for inhibition of AHL promoted biofilm formation of Vibrio sp. and the results showed that seven fractions possess AHL inhibitory potential. The extracts of mangroves <span style="color:black;mso-font-kerning:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Avicennia marina<span style="color:black;mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">, Rhizophora mucronata and macroalgae <span style="color:black;mso-font-kerning:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Sargassum ilicifolium, Actinotrichia fragilis<span style="color:black;mso-font-kerning:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold; mso-bidi-font-style:italic">, Amphiroa anceps and Padina tetrastromatica had anti-biofilm activity at least in one of the four solvent fractions. Out of these, EtOAc<span style="color:black;mso-font-kerning:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-style:italic"> fraction of Padina tetrastromatica (60% inhibition at 50 µg) showed higher inhibition on AHL mediated antibiofilm activity. The concentration dependent (10 - 200 µg) study of this fraction showed that there was a significant reduction in biofilm formation by increase in concentration with an IC50 (50 % inhibitory concentration) of 4<span style="color:black;mso-font-kerning:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold; mso-bidi-font-style:italic">0 µg. Thus it was concluded that the AHL mediated biofilm inhibitory compound from Padina tetrastromatica can be used for the development of anti-quorum sensing antifoulants. </span

Conus leopardus Roding 1798

Conus leopardus Röding, 1798 Figure 1, 2 and 4 Cucullus leopardus Röding, 1798: 41, no. 520 (representation of lectotype, Martini, 1773: pl. 60, fig. 666 (78 x 43 mm) (Kohn 1975); locality unknown). Conus millepunctatus Lamarck, 1822: 461 –462, no. 45 (representation of lectotype, Cuvier, 1798: pl. 323, fig. 5 (137 x 75 mm) (Walls 1979); "Océan Asiatique"). Conus millepunctatus var. aldrovandi Dautzenberg, 1937: 171 –172 (representation of lectotype, Cuvier, 1798: pl. 324, fig. 4 (119 x 66 mm) (Coomans et al. 1980); locality unknown). Material examined. 12 (living) specimens, SL 80–110 mm; SW 52–68 mm; ZSI/ANRC- 7444 (Figure 1); dated 20.08.2011; SL 105 × SW 64 mm; 11 &ring; 40 '15.0"N, 92 &ring; 44 ' 51.4 "E; Aberdeen Bay, South Andaman; Collected by J. B. Franklin. Habitat. Dead corals and rubble on sandy substratum, covered with algal turf at a depth of 3 m. Diagnosis. Shell thick (> 2 mm), large (> 80mm) and heavy (> 1.10 g /mm). Last whorl conical, outline almost straight. Shoulder broad and angulate. Relative spire height low ( 20 specimens of various size range of C. litteratus collected from the Andaman Islands). Conus litoglyphus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 Figure 6 Conus litoglyphus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792: 692–693, no. 81 (lectotype, MHNG (52 x 29 mm) (Walls, 1979); "les mers des grandes Indes"). Cucullus cinamomeus Röding, 1798: 43, no. 534 (representation of lectotype, Martini, 1773: pl. 57, fig. 631 (50 x 23 mm) (Kohn, 1975); locality unknown). Cucullus orleanus Röding, 1798: 44, no. 558 (representation of lectotype, Chemnitz, 1788: pl. 140, fig. 1298 (37 x 20 mm) (Kohn, 1975); locality unknown). Conus bicolor Sowerby II, 1833: pt. 24, fig. 2 (representation of lectotype, Sowerby I, 1833: pl. 24, fig. 2 (18 x 10 mm) (Röckel et al. 1995); locality unknown). Conus albomaculatus Sowerby II, 1841: pls. 177–184 (representation of lectotype, Sowerby II, 1833: pl. 24, fig. 2 (17.5 x 9.5 mm); " Moluccas, Indonesia "). Conus lacinulatus Kiener, 1845: pl. 108, fig. 2. Conus carpenteri Crosse, 1865: 302 –303, pl. 9, fig. 1 (holotype, BMNH (46.5 x 25 mm); "Nova Guinea, Oceaniae"). Conus (Rhizoconus) seychellensis Nevill & Nevill, 1874: 22 (holotype, ZSI (SL 38.5 mm); " Seychelle Islands"). Conus inermis Tinker, 1952: pl. 178. Material examined. 6 (3 living, 3 empty shells) specimens, SL 34–37 mm; SW 18–20 mm; ZSI/ANRC- 7443 (Figure 6); dated 05.07.2011; SL 37 ×SW 20 mm; 13 º 17 ' 38.30 "N, 93 º02' 57.43 "E; Aerial Bay, North Andaman; Collected by P. Venkateshwaran. Habitat. Small coral rocks covered with algae on sand substratum, collected at a depth of 2 m. Diagnosis. Shell medium-sized (35–55 mm), solid (0.30–0.80 g /mm) and glossy. Shoulder broad, sub-angulate. Relative spire height low (<0.12), outline straight. Aperture uniformly narrow, outer lip thin and straight. Last whorl white, overlaid with orange-brown leaving irregular triangular white bands at shoulder and interrupted white band below centre. Spire with triangular white flecks; early whorls white. Aperture dull white. Distribution. The global distribution of C. litoglyphus is reported to be from East Africa to Hawaii (Röckel et. al. 1995). Previous reports in India are from the Gulf of Mannar (Röckel et. al. 1995; Kohn, 2001; Franklin et. al. 2009). Conus litoglyphus has not been previously reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Conus striatellus Link, 1807 Figure 7 Conus lineatus Hwass in Bruguiere, 1792: 1: 645–646, no. 44 (non C. lineatus Solander in Brander, 1766, a fossil) (lectotype, MHNG (46 × 23 mm); "Ocean Asiatique"). Conus striatellus Link, 1807: 3: 103 (representation of lectotype, Chemnitz, 1788: pl. 138, fig. 1285 (36 × 18 mm) (Kohn, 1981); "Diego Suarez, Madagascar "). Conus lictor Boivin, 1864: 12: 36–37, pl. 1, figs. 1, 2 (holotype, Original figure (40 × 20 mm) Coll. Boivin; locality unknown). Conus pulchrelineatus Hopwood, 1921: 16: 151 (nom. nov. for C. lineatus Hwass). Conus lineatusgranulosus Barros e Cunha, 1933:1, 71: 118–119 (non C. granulosus (Roding, 1798) (holotype, Mus. Coimbra (47 × 25 mm); locality unknown). Material examined. 5 (3 living, 2 empty shells) specimens, SL 30–35 mm; SW 17–19 mm; ZSI/ANRC- 7795 (Figure 7); dated 21.08.2012; SL 32 × SW 19 mm; 11 º 40 '15.0"N, 92 º 44 ' 51.4 "E; Aberdeen Bay, South Andaman; Collected by J. B. Franklin. Habitat. On sand with dead reefs, coral rubble with algae, collected at a depth of 4 m. Diagnosis. Shell conical, moderately small (25–35 mm), moderately solid (0.10–0.30 g /mm), last whorl conical; outline convex. Shoulder angulate. Relative spire height low (<0.12); outline straight. Aperture broad at base. Ground colour white stained with orange brown flammules with numerous thread-like lines that lead to interrupted spiral bands on each side of centre. Dark brown axial flammules extends from shoulder to spire; early whorls white. Aperture white. Distribution. This species has a broad distribution from Natal to Red Sea and to Japan and Fiji except Australia (Röckel et. al. 1995). Chemnitz (1788), Melvill & Standen (1898), Winckworth (1943), Satyamurti (1952) (as ' C. lineatus') and Kohn (1978) have reported this species from the TamilNadu Coast, India. However, the present report is the first record from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Conus coffeae Gmelin, 1791 Figure 8 and 9 Conus coffeae Gmelin, 1791:13, 1: 3388, no. 31 (holotype, ZMUA (27 × 16 mm) (Coomans & de Visser, 1987); locality unknown). Cucullus caffer Roding, 1798: 2: 48, no. 606 / 100 (non C. caffer Krauss, 1848) (lectotype, ZMUA (27 × 16 mm) (Coomans & de Visser, 1987); locality unknown). Conus scabriusculus Dillwyn, 1817: 1: 406, no. 98 (representation of lectotype, (17 × 10 mm) (Chemnitz, 1795: pl. 182, figs. 1768, 1769); "the coasts of Guinea about Sierra Leone "). Conus fabula Sowerby I, 1833: 11, pl. 24, fig. 5 (representation of lectotype, (25 × 13 mm) (Sowerby I, 1833); locality unknown). Material examined. 3 (2 living, 1 empty shell) specimens, SL 25–40 mm; SW 15–20 mm; ZSI/ANRC- 7793 (Figure 8); dated 18.07.2012; SL 40 × SW 20 mm; 12 º 55 ' 06.59" N, 92 º 55 ' 53.09 " E; Avis Island, middle Andaman; Collected by P. Venkateshwaran. Habitat. Sandy, collected at a depth of 2 m. Diagnosis. Shell medium sized (35–55 mm), moderately light (0.06–0.10 g /mm), ventricosely conical and outline convex. Shoulder subangulate. Relative spire height moderate (0.12–0.23). Granulose spiral ribs form base, shoulder smooth. One or two moderately granulose ribs in later spire whorls. Ground colour white, two solid interrupted brown spiral bands intermittently connected by axial markings. Brown markings extends to spire. Early whorl white. Base with violet tinge. Aperture white. Distribution. Conus coffeae occurs in the western and central Pacific, except for Hawaii and the Marquesas, and in the western Indian Ocean in west Thailand and Java (Röckel et. al. 1995). No earlier reports of this species are known from mainland India or the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Acknowledgements The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support given by the Earth System Science Organization, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India to conduct this research. We are thankful to Dr. M. A. Atmanand, Director, National Institute of Ocean Technology for constant encouragement to conduct this work. We are grateful to Prof. Thomas F. Duda Jr., University of Michigan for useful comments for the improvement of this manuscript. We thank Prof. Alan J. Kohn, University of Washington who confirmed the identity and the distribution of two species. We also thank the reviewers (Prof. Alan J. Kohn, anonymous) for input and criticism that helped to improve the manuscript. Our special thanks are due to Dr. C. Raghunathan, Officer-In-Charge, ZSI/ANRC, Port Blair, Andaman for regional record certification and repository of specimens in National Zoological Collections. References Barros e Cunha, J.G.de (1933) Catálogo descritivo das conchas exóticas da colecção António Augusto de Carvalho Monteiro -Família Conidae. Memórias e Estudos do Museu Zoológico da Universidade de Coimbra, sér. 1 (71), 1–224. Boivin, A. (1864) Description de cinq espèsces nouvelles du genre Conus. Journal de Conchyliologie, 12, 33– 40. Brander, G., & Solander, D.C. (1766) Fossilia hantoniensia collecta, et in Musaeo Britannico deposita, á Gustavo Brander. 15. pl. 1. fig. 22. Bruguière, J.G. (1792) Cone. In: Encyclopédie Méthodique. Histoire Naturelle des Vers, des mollusques, Paris, Panckoucke, 1, 586 – 757. Chemnitz, J.H. (1788) Neues Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet, Nürnberg, G. N. Rapse, Vol. 10. Chemnitz, J.H. (1795) Neues Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet, Nürnberg, G. N. Rapse, Vol. 11. Coomans, H.E., Moolenbeek, R.G. & Wils, E. (1980) Alphabetical revision of the (sub) species in recent Conidae 3 lbus to antillarium, Basteria, 44, 17– 49. Coomans H.E. & De Visser J.S. (1987) Studies on Conidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda). 10. The holotype and identity of Conus coffeae Gmelin. The Veliger, 29 (4), 437–441. Crosse, J.C.H. (1865) Description de Cönes nouveaux provenant de la collection Cuming. Journal de Conchyliologie, 13, 299 – 315. Cuvier, G.L.C.F.D. (1798) Tableau élémentaire de l''histoire des animaux. Baudouin, Paris, 16, 710 pp. Dautzenberg, P. (1937) Gastropodes Marins. 3. Familie Conidae. Mémoires du Musée royal d'histoire naturelle de Belgique, 2 (18), 1–184. Dillwyn, L.W. (1817) A descriptive catalogue of recent shells, arranged according to the Linnean method; with particular attention to the synonymy. A Descriptive Catalogue of Recent Shells, Arranged According to the Linnean Method; With Particular Attention to the Synonymy, 1, 1– 580. Ekman, S. (1953) Zoogeography of the Sea. Sidgwick and Jackson, London. 418 pp. Franklin, J.B., Subramanian, K.A., Fernando, S.A. & Krishnan, K.S. (2009) Diversity and distribution of Conidae from the TamilNadu Coast of India (Mollusca: Caenogastropoda: Conidae). Zootaxa, 2250, 1– 63. Gmelin, J.F. (1791) Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, Leipzig, 13 th ed., 1 (6). Hopwood, A.T. (1921). Note on Conus lineatus Solander and Conus lineatus Brug. Journal of Conchology, 16, 1– 151. Kiener, L.C. (1845 – 1850) Species general et iconographie des coquilles vivantes. Rousseau, Paris, Vol. 2, 379 pp, 111 pls. Kohn, A.J. (1975) Type specimens and identity of the described species of Conus, V. The species described by Salis Marschlins and Röding, 1793 – 1798. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, London, 57, 185 – 227. Kohn, A.J. (1978) The Conidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of India. Journal of Natural History, 12, 295 – 335. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1080 /00222937800770171 Kohn, A.J. (1981) Type specimens and identity of the described species of Conus, VI. The species described 1801–1810. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, London, 71 (3), 279–341. Kohn, A.J. (2001) The Conidae of India revisited. Phuket Marine Biological Centre Special Publication, 25, 357 – 362. Krauss, F. (1848) Die Südafrikanischen Mollusken. Ein Beitragzur Kenntniss der Mollusken des Kap- und Natallandes und zur Geographischen Verbreitung Derselben mit Beschreibung und Abbildung der Neuen Arten. Ebner and Seubert, Stuttgart, 140 pp, 6 pls. Lamarck, J.B.P. (1822) Histoire Naturellesur les Animaux sans Vertébres, Verdiere, Paris, 7, 711 pp. Linnaeus, C. (1758) Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae. 10 th ed., 1 Stockholm. Link, H.F. (1807) Beschreibung der Naturalien-Sammlung der Universitätzu Rostock, Mollusken, 3 e Abth. Rostock, 106 pp. Martini, F.H.W. (1773) Neues Sytematisches Conchylien-Cabinet, Nürnberg, G. N. Rapse, Vol. 2. Melvill, J.C. & Standen, R. (1898) The marine Mollusca of Madras and the immediate neighbourhood. Journal of Conchology, 9, 30–48, 85. Melvill, J.C. & Sykes, E.R. (1898) " Notes on a second collection of marine shells from the Andaman Islands, with the descriptions of new forms of Terebra. Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London, 3, 35– 48. Nevill G. & Nevill, H. (1874) Descriptions of New Marine Mollusca from the Indian Ocean. The Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 43 (2), 21–30. Preston, H.B. 1908. Descriptions of new species of land, marine and freshwater shells from the Andaman Islands. Records of the Indian Museum, 2 (1), 187–210. Röckel, D., Korn, W. & Kohn, A.J. (1995) Manual of the living Conidae. Vol. 1: Indo-Pacific. Christa Hemmen Verlag, Wiesbaden, 516 pp, 84 pls. Röding, P.F. (1798) Museum Boltenianum sive Catalogus cimeliorum e tribus regnis naturae quae olim collegerat Joa, Fried, Bolten, Hamburg, 2, 1– 8, 199 pp. Satyamurti, S. (1952) The Mollusca of Krusadai Island (in the Gulf of Mannar). 1. Amphineura and Gastropoda. Bulletin of the Madras Government Museum, 1 (2) 6, 1– 267. Smith, E.A. (1878) On a collection of marine shells from the Andaman Islands. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1878, 804– 821. Sowerby I, G.B. (1833) Conus In: Sowerby, II, G.B. The Conchological Illustrations or coloured figures of all the hitherto unfigured recent shells. London, 24–37 pp. Sowerby II, G.B. (1833) The Conchological Illustrations or coloured figures of all the hitherto unfigured recent shells. Sowerby, London, 24–33 pp, 1–41 figs. Sowerby II, G.B. (1841) The Conchological Illustrations or coloured figures of all the hitherto unfigured recent shells. Sowerby, London, 177–184 pls. Subba Rao, N.V. (1980). On the Conidae of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Records of Zoological Survey of India, 77, 39– 50. Tinker, S.W. (1952) Pacific Sea Shells. A handbook of common marine mollusks of Hawaii and the South Seas. Tuttle, Tokyo, 240 pp. Walls, J.G. (1979) Cone shells: A Synopsis of the Living Conidae. TFH Publications, Neptune City, 1011 pp. Winckworth, R. (1943) Holten’s systematic list of the shells of Chemnitz. Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London, 25, 146 – 150.Published as part of Franklin, J. Benjamin, Venkateshwaran, P., Vinithkumar, N. V. & Kirubagaran, R., 2013, Four new records of Conidae (Mollusca: Caenogastropoda) from the Andaman Islands, India, pp. 81-86 in Zootaxa 3635 (1) on pages 81-86, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3635.1.8, http://zenodo.org/record/28353

<span style="font-size:15.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA" lang="EN-US">Dominance of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Trichodesmium</i> and associated biological and physico-chemical parameters in coastal water of Port Blair, South Andaman Island</span>

1739-1745<span style="font-size:9.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:="" "times="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;="" mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US">Dominance of the cyanobacteria <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Trichodesmium was observed in the plankton samples collected from the coastal water of Port Blair during May, 2011. No discernible change in the colour of the surface water was observed. However the cumulative samples collected using plankton net were red in colour. The number of Trichodesmium filaments and colonies were found increasing towards the open sea region. Two species of cyanobacteria viz. Trichodesmium thiebautii and Trichodesmium erythraeum were identified. The number of filaments of T. thiebautii were 10 to 15 times more than that of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">T. erythraeum. The inorganic phosphate and ammonia concentrations were higher during the time of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Trichodesmium dominance. The diatom <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Navicula membranaceae was the second dominating species followed by Nitzschia seriata, N. closterium and Leptocylindrus danicus. In case of zooplankton, the harpacticoid copepods such as Macrosetella spp., Microsetella spp. and cyclopoid copepods like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Copilia spp., Sapphirina spp. were found abundant. Reason for the Trichodesmium dominance in the nearshore water of Port Blair could be due to its stable coastal water conditions during summer. </span

Not Available

Not AvailableIn the present study, an assessment of the status of coral reefs along the Pongi Balu coast, south Andaman Islands, which is a part of the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, has been made by scuba diving, low draft glass-bottom boat and visual interpretation in some places during low-tide condition. The coral reef boundaries have been accurately determined with the help of a low draft glass-bottom boat fitted with a real time kinematics global positioning system, and the existing coral reefs map of the area has been updated using the geographic information system technique. A total of 161.6 ha of previously existed live coral reefs were surveyed along the Pongi Balu coast and out of that ‘live coral’ was found over 81.4 ha and ‘dead coral’ was found over 60.6 ha whereas 19.6 ha area was found to have been lost from the existing coral reefs and categorized as ‘no coral’. The study highlights a few natural and anthropogenic factors affecting the existing coral reefs and hindering the re-establishment of coral reefs in the study area.Not Availabl

Keith Brander

Abstract The microbial diversity in the intestine of laboratory reared and wild spiny lobster Panulirus versicolor (Latreille, 1804) from Andaman Island was evaluated. In the wild lobsters, Enterobactericeae was 67%, whereas in the laboratory grown lobsters Vibrionaceae family was dominant (71%). The hyper-enzyme producing proteolytic bacterial species ranged from 21 to 25 × 10 6 CFU ml -1 in the foregut of lab reared lobsters compared to 13-18 ×10 2 CFU ml -1 in wild lobsters. The hyper-enzyme producing cellulolytic bacteria, antimicrobial synthesizing bacteria and fungi were dominant in the wild P. versicolor. The hyper-enzyme producing bacteria and antimicrobial synthesizing bacteria would be valuable for the production of artificial feed for the laboratory reared aquatic animals

Long-lived atmospheric trace gases measurements in flask samples from three stations in India

International audienceWith the rapid growth in population and economic development, emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the Indian subcontinent have sharply increased during recent decades. However, evaluation of regional fluxes of GHGs and characterization of their spatial and temporal variations by atmospheric inversions remain uncertain due to a sparse regional atmospheric observation network. As a result of an Indo-French collaboration, three new atmospheric stations were established in India at Hanle (HLE), Pondicherry (PON) and Port Blair (PBL), with the objective of monitoring the atmospheric concentrations of GHGs and other trace gases. Here we present the results of the measurements of CO 2 , CH 4 , N 2 O, SF 6 , CO, and H 2 from regular flask sampling at these three stations over the period 2007-2011. For each species, annual means, seasonal cycles and gradients between stations were calculated and related to variations in natural GHG fluxes, anthropogenic emissions, and monsoon circulations. Covariances between species at the synoptic scale were analyzed to investigate the likely source(s) of emissions. The flask measurements of various trace gases at the three stations have the potential to constrain the inversions of fluxes over southern and northeastern India. However , this network of ground stations needs further extension to other parts of India to better constrain the GHG budgets at regional and continental scales