Effect of salinity and dissolved nutrients on the occurrence of some seaweeds in Manakkudy estuary

Abstract

Manakkudy estuary, located on the South-West coast of India has production of seaweeds to an amount of 15.59 kg/m^2/yr. Four different types of seaweeds viz., <i style="">Chaetomorpha aerea, Enteromorpha compressa, Gracilaria verrucosa</i> and<i style=""> Hypnea musciformis</i> were observed in this estuary. Highest production of biomass (<i style="">C. aerea =</i> 842.33± 32.21 g/m²; <i style="">E. compressa = </i>619±16.09 g/m²; <i style="">G. verrucosa = </i>563.33±13.32 g/m² and <i style="">H. musciformis = </i>225.67±10.79 g/m²) of seaweeds could be recorded in May. During November i.e., a period of peak monsoon rain it is not present. Sea weeds were observed to occur in the euryhaline salinity range of 11.15 ± 0.48 to 27.18±0.88 ppt and the temperature ranging between 23.57°±1.00 and 31.70 ± 0.82°C. The quantity of seaweed is more when levels of nutrients were moderately high.