Macrobenthos in anthropogenically influenced zones of a coralline marine protected area in the Gulf of Kachchh, India
IR@NIO: CSIR-National Institute Of Oceanography, Goa
View Archive Info| Field | Value | |
| Creator |
Sukumaran, S.
Vijapure, T. Mulik, J. Rokade, M.A. Gajbhiye, S.N. |
|
| Date |
2013-02-04T04:23:57Z
2013-02-04T04:23:57Z 2013 |
|
| Identifier |
Journal of Sea Research, vol.76; 2013; 39-49
http://drs.nio.org/drs/handle/2264/4236 |
|
| Description |
The Gulf of Kachchh Marine National Park and Sanctuary (MNPS) has one of the four coral reef systems of India. However, owing to its unique geographical position, this area has been transformed into an industrial hub dominated by oil and gas production, refining and transportation facilities. This study investigates the status of macrobenthos along with associated hydro-sedimentological data at 30 stations, sampled within three industrially active zones of the MNPS. The bottom water and sediment characteristics recorded in the study area fulfill the prescribed criteria for ecosensitive zones of India, despite the various stresses operational in the region. The univariate parameters suggest a healthy macrobenthic community except for a few pockets of stressed environment. However, CCA and correlation analyses indicate that even at low levels, petroleum hydrocarbons, along with sediment texture, were influencing polychaete community structure. As this protected area is denoted a "high oil spill risk area", polychaete/amphipod ratio was employed to verify the environmental status which revealed that a major part of the study area had a good representation of oil-sensitive amphipods. The current study is the first of its kind to provide valuable baseline data of macrobenthos along with prevailing environmental conditions in this ecosensitive area.
|
|
| Language |
en
|
|
| Publisher |
Elsevier
|
|
| Rights |
An edited version of this paper was published by Elsevier. Copyright [2012] Elsevier
|
|
| Subject |
benthos
petroleum hydrocarbons pollution effects |
|
| Title |
Macrobenthos in anthropogenically influenced zones of a coralline marine protected area in the Gulf of Kachchh, India
|
|
| Type |
Journal Article
|
|