Recruitment and Growth of Biofouling Invertebrates during Monsoon in Bombay Waters, West Coast of India

Abstract

In the nearshore waters of Bombay, quantitative and qualitative differences in the biofouling growth during different seasons were marginal. During the monsoon, certain fouling species disappeared for a short while and the others, not so common, settled in good abundance. Not only the variations in salinity and the presence of pollutants but also the turbulence of the sea influenced the biofouling growth. This was noted particularly of ascidians which were major constituents of the biogrowth in coastal waters of Bombay. Ascidians continued to settle in good abundance in the tidal basin where salinity fluctuations ranged between 9 and 28 x 10-3. It was also observed that bicelletriellid cheilostomes were decisively very sensitive to low salinity and failed to appear on the test coupons during the monsoon period.