This paper deals with the studies on sediment and water characteristics of selected shrimp
farming ponds located at Puthuvyppu and Valappu villages of Vypeen in the vicinity of
Cochin carried out during premonsoon period (March-May 2001). Areawise distribution of
sediment and water characteristics revealed that smaller and medium sized ponds were
relatively more fertile than the larger sized ponds. Overall mean values of nutrients in sediment
and water indicated that ponds at Puthuvyppu village (with high tidal influence) were relatively
more fertile than those ponds at Valappu. TSS and primary productivity values also showed
the same trend. Highly significant positive correlation was observed between clay and silt,
organic carbon and available potassium, nitrite-N in sediment and water, salinity and TSS and
water pH and dissolved oxygen
