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Organic matter, nutrients and major ions in the sediments of coral reefs and seagrass beds of Gulf of Mannar biosphere reserve, southeast coast of India

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Title Organic matter, nutrients and major ions in the sediments of coral reefs and seagrass beds of Gulf of Mannar biosphere reserve, southeast coast of India
 
Creator Vinithkurnar, N V
Kumaresan, S
Manjusha, M
Balasubrarnanian, T
 
Description 383-393
Comparative
investigations have been made to study the distribution pattern of organic
matter, nutrients and major ions in the Gulf of Mannar
biosphere reserve ecosystem. Sediment samples have been collected during
January 1996 from six islands (Shingle, Kurusadai, Kori, Pumarichan, Manauli
and Hare) of this region covering coral reef zone, seagrass bed and adjacent
areas. Although textural composition of sediment samples showed predominantly
sandy, coral bed areas were found to have greater percentage of coral stones
and shell fragments and with very low silt and clay fractions. About 0.5 to 40
% by dry weight of the sediments were made up of Ca derived from the coral and
molluscan organisms, due to weathering processes. The coral reef sediments
recorded low salinity and higher pH compared to seagrass bed and
adjacent

areas. Total organic carbon
(TOC) content (1.38 to 9.11 mg/g) of the reef sediments were low when compared
to the seagrass bed and adjacent areas. Higher concentrations of total nitrogen
and total phosphorus were found in the coral reef zone and seagrass bed
revealed that these areas may be viewed as a sink for nutrients, whereas the
adjacent areas act as reservoir for nutrients. The contribution of seagrass and
reef associated organisms play an important role in the recycling of nutrients
in these environments. The seagrass bed sediments recorded higher Na and K
concentrations than the coral reef zone and adjacent areas could be due to the
utilization and trapping of these ions by seagrass and associated organisms.
 
Date 2014-01-15T10:08:15Z
2014-01-15T10:08:15Z
1999-12
 
Type Article
 
Identifier 0975-1033 (Online); 0379-5136 (Print)
http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/25723
 
Language en_US
 
Rights CC Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India
 
Publisher NISCAIR-CSIR, India
 
Source IJMS Vol.28(4) [December 1999]