Interrelationship Between Hydrological Parameters and chlorophyll α Concentration in and Around Indian Sundarbans

Abstract

Phytoplankton are minute, free floating, floral communities that are widely available in the marine and estuarine waters. They are totally dependent on nutrient availability, transparency, salinity and temperature of the water body. A comparative study was con­ducted to monitor the interrelationship between selected hydrological parameters (like surface water temperature, transparency, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, phos­ phate and silicate) and chi α concentration at twenty different sampling stations in and around Indian Sundarbans during 2003 on seasonal basis. Significant positive correla­tion values were observed between salinity, pH and chl α, confirming high salinity and slightly alkaline pH to be extremely favourable for the growth and survival of the phy­toplankton species in the present geographical locale. The importance of transparency in promoting the growth of phytoplankton has also been confirmed. The significant nega­tive relationships between phytopigment (chl α) level and nutrient (nitrate and phos­ phate) concentrations of the ambient water confirm the necessity of nutrients as building blocks of marine phytoplankton. However an insignificant relationship was observed be­tween chl α and silicate. This may be due to less abundance of siliceous diatoms in com­ parison to flagellates in the present study area.