Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

ZOOPLANKTON POPULATION ASSESSMENT IN THE COASTAL WATERS OFF VISAKHAPATNAM AND MUMBAI

V.W. Lande

Abstract

Consequences of development of the oil and natural gas fields away from the shore in sediments along the coast monitored for zooplankton population at 12 sampling locations off Visakhapatnam and Mumbai during premonsoon and postmonsoon seasons in the year 1993-1995. Frequency of general groups in coastal waters in relation to hydrological movements, upwelling areas indicate zooplankton enriched area of east coast. During the collections of zooplankton, representative groups comprise of 41 genera offVisakhapatnam and 14 genera off Mumbai were encountered. Average zooplankton biomass varied in terms of volume 1.44-11.40 ml/m3 and 0.32-9.2 ml/m3 off Visakhapatnam and 0.003-1.15 ml/m3 and 0.006-5.77 ml/m3 off Mumbai. Copepoda appeared dominant group in the zooplankton. Indicator of water mass species of coelentrate madusae, siphonophora, chaetognatha were recorded off east coast waters. The Shannon Wiener Index (SWI) ranges from 0.83 to 3.64 and 0.067 to 0.29 in the study area of these coastal waters.