Prevalence of pollution indicators in Palk bay coastal zone, Southern India

Abstract

In this study, the sea water and sediment samples of four different locations were collected from Palk bay regions during 2014 for pollution indicators study. All the bacterial parameters were higher during the rainy season compared to summer season in all the sampling locations of the Palk bay regions. In the water samples, among the pollution indicator bacterial groups, TC and TS counts were highest 0.67 -10.3 [×10 3 ] ml −1 and 0.8 -10.8 [×10 2 ] ml −1 during monsoon, and the least 0.54 -8.5 [×10 3 ] ml −1 and 0.7 -9.0 [×10 2 ] ml −1 were noticed during summer. In monsoon sediment sample, the higher VC count was observed in Thondi (2100 g −1 ) followed by Mimisal (1700 g −1 ), Manamelkudi (960 g −1 ) and Devipattinam (200 g −1 ). The pollution index (PI) of each location was calculated and was showed a remarkable microbial contamination was observed in sediment sample than water sample. The order of PI observed were Thondi > Mimisal > Manamelkudi > Devipattinam. The highest PI ratio (15.5) was observed in Devipattinam sediment sample at monsoon season while lowest (2.5) was noticed in Devipattinam water sample at summer season. The results indicated that the coastal environment is highly exposed to human excreta that suggesting to avoid direct contact. Hence, throughout impoundment is needed to protect coastal environments.

Diversity of a bacterial community associated with Cliona lobata Hancock and Gelliodes pumila (Lendenfeld, 1887) sponges on the South-East coast of India

“…Palk Bay is a nearshore fringing reef bay situated at the south east coast of India (adjacent to protected reef environment, Gulf of Mannar) between longitudes 79° 17′ 40ʺ E and 79° 8′ E and at latitude of 9° 17′ N with an average depth between 1 and 5 m. Palk Bay is a highly disturbed and unprotected reef ecosystem serving as homeland for several species of marine algae, fishes, turtles, corals, sponges, seagrass, mangroves and so on 41 . Palk Bay suffers because of pollution in recent years due to dumping of untreated domestic sewage, effluents from coastal aquaculture, tourism, salt pans, cultivation of exotic seaweeds, geogenic heavy metal pollution especially with arsenic, mercury, cadmium and lead 39 , 40 , 42 , 43 .…”