Meiobenthic Diversity in Relation to Water Quality of Aamayizhanchan Canal of Thiruvananthapuram City, Kerala

Authors

  • Sumesh S
  • Kurian Mathew Abraham Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala Kariavattom, Thiruvananthapuram 695 581, Kerala, India

Keywords:

Urban canal, Foraminifera, Nematodes, Benthos diversity, Municipal sewage canal

Abstract

Monitoring and assessment of meiobenthic fauna is essential to evaluate the health status of urban canals, especially those used as urban sewage discharge sites. An attempt was made to assess the diversity of meiobenthos of Aamayizhanchan Thodu, a freshwater first-order canal flowing through Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala state, from January to April 2021. A total of 7 meiobenthic groups were identified, of which nematodes and foraminifera were registered from all stations with more abundance towards downstream reach. Ostracodes, oligochaetes, polychaetes, kinorynchs, and turbellarians are represented in the diversity and abundance of meiobenthos found higher in stations with higher salinity and from silty to sandy zones. Statistical analysis showed a significant (P<0.05) difference between stations in meiobenthic diversity and abundance. Despite the heavy effluent and municipal waste discharge to the canal, the meiobenthic diversity showed a significant relationship with water quality and canal water flow.

References

Roy, R. (2019). An Introduction to Water Quality Analysis. International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology,6(1), 1-5.https://www.irjet.net/archives/V6/i1/IRJET-V6I134.pdf.

Kilic, Z. (2021). Water Pollution: Causes, Negative Effects and Prevention Methods. Istanbul SabahattinZaimUniversitesi Fen BilimleriDergisi, 3(2), 129-132.https://doi.org/10.47769/izufbed.862679.

Jayachandran, P.R., Nandan, S.B., Jima, M., Philomina, J., Vishnudattan, N.K. (2022). Benthic organisms as an ecological tool for monitoring coastal and marine ecosystem health. In: Ecology and Biodiversity of Benthos (pp. 337-362). Elsevier.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-821161-8.00004-0

dos Santos, S., Neto, F.C.R., Oliveira, M., Corrêa, M.M., Parahyba, R.D.B.V. (2022). The neglected area of meiobenthos: A bibliometric analysis in the status of research on freshwater meiofauna. Authorea Preprints.https://doi/full/ 10.22541/au.165348918. 80457866.

Stephenson, J. (1923). Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma: Oligocheta. Taylor and Francis, London. 546pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.48423.

Southwell, T. (1930). Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma:Cestoda I. Taylor and Francis, London: 391pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.100745.

Baylis, H.A. (1936). Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma: Nematoda I.Taylor and Francis, London. 408pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.100745.

Bhatia, B.L. (1936). Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma: Protozoa. Taylor and Francis, London. 493pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.100745.

Baylis, H.A. (1939). Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma: Nematoda II.Taylor and Francis, London.: 274pp. https://faunaofindia.nic.in/PDFVolumes/fbi/077/ index.pdf

Ward, H.B. and Whipple, G.C. (1959). Freshwater Biology (2ndEdn.).John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York, 1248pp.

Hynes, H.B.N. (1961). The invertebrate fauna of a Welch mountain stream. https://openlibrary.org/works/OL10599313W/The_invertebrate_fauna_of_a_Welsh_mountain_stream

Day, J.H. (1967). A monograph on the polychaeta of southern Africa. Part 1 and 2.British Museum (Nat. Hist.). London.pp; 878.https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/35415.

Pennak, R.W. and Van Gerpen, E.D. (1947). Bottom fauna production and the physical nature of the substrate in a Northern Colorado trout stream. Ecology,28(1), 42-48. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1932916?casa_token.

Tonapi, G.T. (1980). Freshwater animals of India. An Ecological Approach. Oxford Nagar, Sagar, India. https://doi.org/10.1002/iroh.3510680535.

Platt, H.M. and Warwick R.M. (1983). Free living marine nematodes. Pt. I. British Enoplids. Synopsis of British Fauna:Pictorial keys to world genera and notes for identification of British species. Cambridge University press, Cambridge, 28.https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19840813084

Adony, A.D. (1985). Workbook on Limnology. Prathibha Publishers C-10, Gaur and IBH Publishing Co., New Delhi, 341pp.

Platt, H.M. and Warwick, R.M. (1988). Free living marine nematodes. Pt. 11. British Chromodorids. Pictorial keys to world genera and notes for identification of British species. Brill. Backhuys, Leiden, Synopsis of British Fauna, 38.

APHA (2017). Standard methods for the examination of water and waste water. American Public Health Association(23ndEdn.).APHA, AWWA ,WPCF, Washington, USA, 1504pp.

Karuppasamy, P.K. and Perumal, P. (2000) Biodiversity of zooplankton at Pichavaram mangroves, South India. Adv. Biosci, 19(2), 23-32.https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/284674056.

Nair, K.C.M. (1992) Studies on certain Ecological aspects of two river systems of the Western Ghats. Ph. D. Thesis, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, India.

USEPA (1983). Methods for chemical analysis of water and wastes. United States Environmental Protection Agency. E.P.A-604-79-020 USA. https://www.wbdg.org /FFC/EPA/EPACRIT/epa600_4_79_020.pdf

ICMR (1975). Manual of Standards for Drinking Water Supplies. ICMR, New Delhi,29pp.

BIS (1991). Drinking Water—Specification (First Revision) IS-10500. BIS, New Delhi, India.

Neilsen, D.L., Brock, M.A., Rees, G.N. and Baldwin, D.S. (2003). Effects of increasingsalinityon freshwater ecosystems in Australia. Australian Journal of Botany, 51(6), 655-665.http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/BT02115

WHO (2011). Guidelines for drinking-water quality. Edition, F., WHO chronicle, 38(4), pp.104-8.

Joseph, K.O. and Srivastava, J.P. (1993). Heavy metal load in edible oyster, Crassostreamadrasensis (Preston) from the Ennore Estuary in Madras. Journal of Environmental Biology,14(2), 121-127.

Tiwari, L.R. and Nair V.R. (1993). Zooplankton composition in Dharamtar creek adjoining Bombay harbor. Indian J. Mar. Sci. 22, 63-69.https://nopr.niscpr.res.in/bitstream/ 123456789/37760/1/IJMS%2022(1)%2063-69.pdf

Published

2024-07-04