Further studies on the plankton of the inshore waters off Mandapam

Abstract

In an earlier paper the author (Prasad, 1954 a) described the characteristics of marine plankton at an inshore station in the Gulf of Mannar based on regular plankton samples collected from a single station. Mandapam is located on a narrow strip of land lying east-west, with the Palk Bay to the north and the Gulf of Mannar to the south. Because of this geographical situation and certain differences in the fisheries of these two areas a comparative study of the plankton of the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Bay was undertaken. The object of the present investigation is, therefore, to compare the gross changes in the plankton of two stations, one in the Palk Bay and the other in the Gulf of Mannar. In attempting a comparison of this type it should be mentioned that the stations are not considered strictly as representatives of the entire areas because investigations, carried out locally and elsewhere, have revealed the fact that no single station will serve as an adequate index for any particular region. A sufficiently large number of stations, located over a wide area forming a network, could not be operated and an arrangement such as the present one was found necessary owing to various limitations.