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Influence of environmental properties on macrobenthos in the northwest Indian shelf

DRS at CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography

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Title Influence of environmental properties on macrobenthos in the northwest Indian shelf
 
Creator Jayaraj, K.A.
Jayalakshmi, K.V.
Saraladevi, K.
 
Subject Continental shelf
Environmental parameters
 
Description The paper deals with the standing stock of macrobenthic infauna and associated environmental factors influencing the benthic community in the shelf region of the northwest Indian coast. The data were collected onboard FORV Sagar Sampada during the winter monsoon (January-February, 2003) to understand the community structure and the factors influencing the benthic distribution. The environmental parameters, sediment characteristics and macrobenthic infauna were collected at 26 stations distributed in the depths between 30 and 200 m extending from Mormugao to Porbander. Total benthic abundance was high in lower depths (50-75m), and low values noticed at 30 m depth contour was peculiar. Polychaetes were the dominant group and were more abundant in shallow and middle depths with moderate organic matter, clay and relatively high dissolved oxygen. On the other hand crustaceans and molluscs were more abundant in deeper areas having sandy sediment and low temperature. High richness and diversity of whole benthic groups observed in deeper depths counter balanced the opposite trend shown by polychaete species. Generally benthos preferred medium grain sized texture with low organic matter and high organic matter had an adverse effect especially on filter feeders. Deposit feeding polychaetes dominated in shallow depths while carnivore species in the middle depths. Ecologically, benthos were controlled by a combination of factors such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, sand and organic matter and no single factor could be considered as an ecological master factor.
 
Date 2007-04-02T07:21:29Z
2007-04-02T07:21:29Z
2007
 
Type Journal Article
 
Identifier Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, vol.127(1-3), 459-475pp.
http://drs.nio.org/drs/handle/2264/562
 
Language en
 
Rights An edited version of this paper was published by Springer. Copyright [2007] Springer
 
Format 276934 bytes
application/pdf
 
Publisher Springer