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Copyright: © 2018 Ponnusamy K et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation: Ponnusamy K, P. Sivaperumal, V. Sekar, Amrata Verma, Subhashree Das S. Munilkumar, S. Das Gupta1 and A. K. Pal. Diversity of macrobenthos around Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS), India. DOI : http://dx.doi.org/ 10.31579/ jmba
Received: 30 November -0001 | Accepted: 09 March 2018 | Published: 14 June 2018
Keywords: Macro benthos, Diversity, Kalpak am, Madras Atomic Power Station, k-dominance
The present study was deal with macro benthos diversity around ecological sensitivity area of Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS), Kalpakkam and their relationship with physico-chemical parameters of water and sediments samples. Seasonally sample collections were made from 9 different locations during the study period of 2012-2014. Totally 64 species of macro benthos were identified and its belongs to polycheates (21 species), gastropods (12 species) and each 7 species of bivalves and amphipods, nematodes (5 species), copepods (4 species) and 3 species of isopods, each 2 species offoraminifera’s and ostrocodes and 1 species of rotifer has identified during the study period. The dominant species contribution is polycheate (33%) followed by gastropoda (19%). In addition, the environmental parameters of temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen and sediment texture were also contributing the important role for the distribution and diversity of benthic organisms. Hence, it could be assumed from the present study, the hydrography and sediment texture are major factors responsible for variation in macro benthic communities in the ecologically important area of MAPS.
Soft bottom macro benthic communities are most important and it’s playing role in key constituents in the functioning of coastal and marine ecosystem (Lu 2005). Macro benthos are brings to be considerable changes in physical and chemical composition of sediments, particularly in the water-sediment edge (Gaudencio and Cabral 2007; Shou et al. 2009). Moreover, assessment of marine ecosystem changes could be efficiently monitored by using the benthic faunal distribution. These macro fauna play significant role in nutrient cycling, pollutant metabolism, distribution and burial and in secondary production also (Snelgrove 1998). In the tropical environment, benthic fauna are support and they exploit all forms of food available in the energy transfer (Crisp and William 1971; Shou et al. 2009). The changing conditions of water and sediments are determined the density and diversity of organisms that live in the marine realm. However, an unnatural anthropogenic disturbance has been exponentially increased around the world and it gives negative effect on habitat biodiversity (Charlson et al. 1992; Short and Wyllie-Echeverria 1996; Fahrig 1997).
Infiltration of marine sediments by nutrients can have an influence on the biota and productivity of the ecosystem. In view of the importance and involvement of the hydrographical parameters in various biological processes, sediment parameters like texture, organic content and food availability are among the vital factors affect the benthic community structure (Sanders 1958; Kari 2002). Therefore, macrobenthic assessment studies are important to monitor the ecologically important environment. Hence, the spatial and temporal distribution of macrobenthos diversity and their interactions among the physico-chemical parameters of the water and sediment samples were performed around Madras Atomic Power Stations (MAPS), Kalpakkam coast.
Materials and methods
The study area of Kalpakkam coast is situated in 80 kms south of Chennai. Presently Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) was located near east coast and it was established on 1983 and began operation was started on 27th January, 1984. Two major backwaters such as Edaiyur and Sadras backwater systems are important features of this coastal area. These backwaters are connected to the Buckingham canal, which was runs parallel to the coast. In addition, the Kalpakkam township domestic discharge was dump to the Sadras backwater, however, anthropogenic influences in the Edaiyur backwater is negligible (Satpathy 1996).
Sample collections were made seasonally from pre-monsoon 2012 to summer 2014. Totally nine different sampling locations (SE1, SE3, SE5, E1, E3, E5, NE1, NE3 and NE5) were selected according to depth wise (10 m, 15 m and 20 m) and detailed presented in Table 1. The seawater samples were collected using sterile plastic containers and the sediment samples were collected with the help of Van Veen grab sampler (dimension of sampler is 0.04 m2). Grab samplers were obtained according to standard protocols (Holme and McIntyre 1984). The samples were kept in clean polythene bags and transported to the laboratory. Further, plant, animal parts and other debris were removed from the sediment samples and stored for further analysis. To analysis the sediment texture such as sand, silt and clay, the collected samples were ground to fine powder and dried in an oven at 1100C to a constant weight for around 60 minutes.
Sample collections were made seasonally from pre-monsoon 2012 to summer 2014. Totally nine different sampling locations (SE1, SE3, SE5, E1, E3, E5, NE1, NE3 and NE5) were selected according to depth wise (10 m, 15 m and 20 m) and detailed presented in Table 1. The seawater samples were collected using sterile plastic containers and the sediment samples were collected with the help of Van Veen grab sampler (dimension of sampler is 0.04 m2). Grab samplers were obtained according to standard protocols (Holme and McIntyre 1984). The samples were kept in clean polythene bags and transported to the laboratory. Further, plant, animal parts and other debris were removed from the sediment samples and stored for further analysis. To analysis the sediment texture such as sand, silt and clay, the collected samples were ground to fine powder and dried in an oven at 1100C to a constant weight for around 60 minutes.
Figure 1. Study area
Analysis of physico-chemical parameters
Water temperatures were recorded using LCD portable digital multi steam thermometer (MEXTEH, Multi thermometer). Salinity was recorded using a hand held refract meter (Atago, Japan). The water pH was determined using a pH meter (pH tester-Oaklam) and sediment pH was recorded using a field sediment pH pen (Takemura Elative works Std.). Dissolved oxygen was estimated by using Winkler's method (Strickland and Parsons 1972). Sediment grain size analysis was made from collected samples collected by following the procedure of Wentworth (1992). All the experiments were done in triplicate and statistical analyses was carried out using standard softwares.
Analysis of macrobenthos
The collected samples were washed separately through 500µ mesh sieve and the animals retained in the sieve were preserved in 5% formaldehyde in seawater containing rose Bengal solution for easy spotting. Identification of different groups of macro benthos was carried out by using standard references of guide to identification of marine and estuarine invertebrates (Gosner 1971) with the help of stereo zoom microscope.
Results and discussion
Environmental parameters of water and sediment samples
The physic chemical parameters of temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen were contributing the important role for the populations of benthic organisms. In the present study, the environmental parameters of water and sediment values are observed more or less similar in all stations (SE1, SE3, SE5, E1, E3, E5, NE1, NE3 and NE5). It is indicating that, around Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) coastal area is well-mixed nature and supported to healthy marine environment. The ranges of surface water temperature between 27.03oC during the pre-monsoon 2012 at NE1 (10M depth) and 28oC was observed during the summer 2014 at SE1 (10M depth) (Figure 4&5). These above mentioned values are low in compared with earlier studies around East coast of India, Tamil Nadu (Ajithkumar et al. 2006; Saravanakumar et al. 2008). However, low temperature value also reported by some few authors around Tamil Nadu coast (Ashok Prabu et al. 2008; Rajkumar et al. 2009). The salinity was acts like limiting factor in the distribution of living marine organisms, and its distinction caused by dilution and evaporation influences the fauna maximum likely in the intertidal zone (Gibson 1982). The salinity ranged from 34.9 to 36.16 psu in the all stations as well as all seasons (Figure 2&3). The minimum value (34.9 psu) was recorded during the pre-monsoon-2012 at SE1 (10M depth) and the maximum value (36.16 psu) was noticed during the summer-2014 at E5 (20M depth). However, salinity variation in study area, probably due to freshwater runoff and rain and some authors also proved well (Asha and Diwakar 2007; Sridhar et al. 2006).
Figure 9. Seasonal variation in D. O. during 2013-2014
Figure 10. Premonsoon 2012 Figure 11. Monsoon 2012
Figure 20. Bray-curtis analysis of macrobenhos diversity around MAPS
Table: 1 Description of Study Area
Table 2. Diversity analysis of macro benthos around MAPS
Macrofaunal diversity
The macro benthic organisms form a major food item for the bottom feeders such as demersal fish species. Mostly the benthic organisms have a maximum range of fecundity. Therefore, the benthic environment has massive number of species/population compare to other water column species. They generally survive and relationships with the substrate bottom organisms are permanently attached to the bottom others are attached to stones and even other organisms also. Totally 64 species of macrobenthic fauna has been reported around MAPS Kalpakkam coast. Among them, 21 species of polycheates, 12 species of gastropods, each 7 species of bivalves and amphipods, 5 nematopods species, 4 species of copepods, 3 species of isopods, each 2 species of foraminiferans and ostrocodes and 1 species of rotifer have been identified during the study period (Table-3).
The dominant species contribution is polycheate (33%) followed by gastropoda (19%) (Figure 18). Such dominance of polychaetes has been reported by previous studies conducted in the various regions of Indian waters (Vizakat et al. 1991; Ganesh and Raman 2007) and also other parts of world (Probert et al. 2001; Ellingsen and Gray 2002). Higher numerical density recorded in assured stations was due to tube dwelling polychaetes such as Magelona cincta, Prionospio pinnata, Cossura coasta and Sternaspis scutata (Joydas and Damodaran 2009). In the present study also dominant species of Prionospio sexoculata, Prionospio pinnata, Pseudoneries sp. and Cirratulus sp. have been observed during the study period. The most observable gradient in marine biodiversity is that related with depth (Gage 1996). In addition, the representation of polychaetes exhibited a decrease with increase in depth (Joydas and Damodaran 2009). However, in the present study there is no distinguishing of macrobenthos diversity and species variation between 10, 15 and 20M depth. Recently, macrobenthos diversity was reported by Thilagavathi et al (2013), Pravinkumar et al (2013) and Kumar and Khan (2013) around Indian coast. In addition to that, shellfish resources around MAPS also recorded very recently by Ponnusamy et al (2016) and higher number of molluscs species were recorded followed by crustaceans and echnioderms species also identified.
The species diversity combines both the richness and evenness properties of the samples. Moreover, the values of species richness and species evenness indices mostly followed the trend of species diversity. Jayaraj et al (2007) found that high diversity and richness of whole benthic groups in the deeper depths of North West coast of India and its counter stable the opposite trend shown by dominant polychaete species. It can be assumed that proposal of increasing diversity with increase in depth as proposed by Sanders (1968) may not be applicable in the case of polychaetes. During study period, the maximum species diversity (4.108) was reported in pre-monsoon – 2013 season and minimum (3.898) in monsoon – 2013 season. The maximum species evenness (0.9915) was reported in pre – monsoon 2013 and highest species richness (11.09) was reported in Post-monsoon 2014. However, the minimum level of species richness (10.12) and evenness (0.9728) were reported in monsoon season 2013 due to the freshwater inflow (Table-2). The k-dominance curve was plotted for all seasons to determine the diversity of macrofauna around MAPS coastal area (Figure 19). The S shape of curve was observed in premonsoon season 2013 due to highest diversity of macrofauna. However, minimum diversity was recorded in monsoon season 2013 due to freshwater inflow and changes of environmental parameters of salinity, DO and temperature. The Bray-Curtis analysis also supported the classification of macrobenthos and it was showed the similarity between the different seasons (Figure 20). The highest similarities were reported in pre-monsoon 2012 and summer 2013 and pre-monsoon 2014 and summer 2014 respectively. These values are suggested that the MASP coastal area is healthy and the macro benthic fauna is also supporting the higher marine organisms.
Figure 12. Summer 2013 Figure 13.Postmonsoon 2013
Figure 14. Premonsoon 2013 Figure 15. Monsoon 2013
Figure 16. Summer 2014 Figure17. Post monsoon2014
Figure 10-17: Sediment logical parameters around MAPS coastal area
Figure 18. Group wise percentage of macro benthos around MAPS
Table 3. List of Macro benthos species around MAPS
Armandia longicaudata
Prionospio sexoculata
Nephtys sphaerocirrata
Corophium madrasensis
Cantharus tranquebaricus
The present study provides insights into the effects of a range of environmental parameter on macrobenthic communities around Kalpakkam coastal area, India. The distribution of macrobenthos exhibited not only higher density during the premonsoon season but also consisted of more diverse fauna with low benthic numbers, especially polychaetes, during monsoon season. The decrease of macrobenthos in monsoon might be attributable to the low temperature and salinity. In addition, a sediment texture and salinity also supports more benthic diversity. So, it could be assumed from the present study, the hydrography and sediment texture are major factors responsible for fluctuation in macrobenthic assemblages in the ecological sensitive area of MAPS.
The authors are grateful to Director, ICAR-CIFE, Deemed University, Mumbai for providing facilities to carry out this study and thankful to Board of Research in Nuclear Science (BRNS), Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India for providing financial assistance for this work.
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