Phytoplankton composition and community structure of Kottakudi and Nari Backwaters, South East of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Phytoplankton is one of the important reserves and plays a vital role in aquaculture as food for the larval stages of crustaceans, fish and all stages of bivalves and zooplankton. In the present study, the gross primary production was ranged from 0.08 to 0.35 mg Cm3/hr in station I and 0.07 to 0.34 mg Cm3/hr in station II. Net primary production was ranged from 0.23 to 1.89 mg Cm3/hr in station I and 0.32 to 1.73 mg Cm3/hr in station II. Chlorophyll 'a' was ranged from 1.897 to 6.821 mg/m3 in station I and 1.745 to 6.723 mg/m3 in station II. Phaeo-pigments were ranged from 1.721 to 6.861 mg/m3 in station I and 1.321 to 6.425 mg/m3 in station II. During the study period, in station I; about 108 species of phytoplankton were recorded and station II; about 114 species of phytoplankton were recorded. Population density was ranged from 14,408 to 81,930cells/l in station I and 14,306 to 81,630cells/l in station II. Shannon - Wiener's diversity index (H') values were ranged from 5,110 to 6,612 (bits/ind) in station I and 5,112 to 6,710 (bits/ind) in station II. Simpson richness was ranged from 0.912 to 0.987 in station I and 0.913 to 0.989 in station II. Pielou's Evenness index (J') was ranged from 0.841 to 0.959 in station I and 0.846 to 0.959 in station II respectively. © 2013 Thirunavukkarasu K, et al.