<span style="font-size:15.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-IN;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Seasonal and spatial variation of microalgal abundance and chlorophyll <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">a</i> concentration<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i>in intertidal rocky pools along Mumbai coast, India</span>

Abstract

Microalgal recruitment, density and productivity in term of chlorophyll <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">a</i> in intertidal areas of rocky coast along Mumbai were estimated. Diatoms was dominant contributing maximum chlorophyll <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">a</i> in studied area. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Thalassiosira</i> spp., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Nitzschia</i> spp. and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Navicula</i> spp. were dominant microalgae. Microalgae was significantly positive correlated with SST (p<0.01), DO (p<0.01), Chl <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">a</i> (p<0.05), diatoms (p<0.01) and dinoflagellates (p<0.01) and significantly negative correlated with nitrate (p<0.05). Chl <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">a </i>was significantly<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i>positive correlated with SST (p<0.05), nitrate (p<0.01) and diatoms (p<0.01) and significantly negative correlated with euglenozoa (p<0.05), phosphate (p<0.05), salinity (p<0.05) and pH (p<0.01). Phosphate and nitrate significantly negative correlated (p<0.01). Shannon’s index, Simpson’s index, Evenness and Equitability were recorded higher in pre-monsoon season while dominance (D) was highest in post monsoon season.