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A multi-metric fish index to measure the ecological quality of tropical predominantly open estuaries along the western coast of India

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Abstract

Defining the ecological quality of estuaries is challenging because of the inadequacy of available methods and indices to characterise the ecosystem. In Indian estuaries, there are no scientific attempts to establish multi-metric fish index to determine the ecological status. A multi-metric fish index (EMFI) was customised for twelve predominantly open estuaries on India’s western coast. The index was established at the individual estuary level to ensure uniformity and contrast from sixteen metrics that designate the fish community and diversity, composition and abundance, estuarine use and trophic integrity from 2016 to 2019. A sensitivity study was followed to measure the responses of the EMFI under different metric varying scenarios. There were seven metrics identified as the most prominent for the EMFI in metric alteration scenarios. We also deduced a composite pressure index (CPI) based on the anthropogenic pressures described for the estuaries. The ecological quality ratios (EQR) defined based on EMFI (EQRE) and the CPI (EQRP) for all the estuaries were positively correlated. The EQRE values calculated based on the regression relationship (EQRE on EQRP) showed the divisions from 0.43 (bad) to 0.71 (high) for the Indian west coast estuaries. Similarly, the standardised CPI (EQRP) values for different estuaries indicated that the values range from 0.37 to 0.61. Our results based on the EMFI suggest four estuarine systems (33%) as ‘good’, seven (58%) as ‘moderate’ and one (9%) as ‘poor’. Generalised Linear Mixed Model for EQRE showed that EQRP and estuary influenced EQRE; however, the effect of year was not significant. This comprehensive study based on the EMFI is the first record for predominantly open estuaries along the Indian coast. Therefore, the EMFI established in this study could be reliably advocated as a sound, effective and composite tool of ecological quality for tropical open transitional waters.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, for funding this research work. Director and staff of ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Goa, staff and students of ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi, and Directorate of Fisheries, Govt. of Goa, and CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, are also accredited for their technical and administrative support. The authors express their sincere gratitude towards Dr. Trevor D Harrison, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, UK for his scientific guidance and suggestions for the development of the index. The technical help by Ms. Siddhi Raul and Shri. Vishwajeet Prajapati, technical officer, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, North Goa, is duly acknowledged. The fishermen of all estuaries, Biodiversity Boards of Kerala, Goa and Karnataka, BMC members, Panchayat officials and local communities are greatly acknowledged for their active participation during sampling and data collection.

Funding

The research is supported by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICAR Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Old Goa, Goa, 403402, India

    Sreekanth Giri Bhavan, Sajiya Mujawar, Trivesh Mayekar & Parveen Kumar

  2. Department of Studies in Marine Biology, Karnatak University, Karwar, Karnataka, 581303, India

    Shivakumar Haragi & Jagannath Rathod

  3. National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Headland Sada, Vasco da Gama, Goa, 403802, India

    Baban Ingole

  4. ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400061, India

    Dhanya Mohan Lal

  5. School of Fisheries, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi, Gajapati, Odisha, 761211, India

    Sri Hari Murugesan

  6. Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi, Kerala, 682506, India

    Kiranya Bella, Pramila Sahadevan & Ranjeet Kutty

  7. Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695581, India

    Bijukumar Appukuttannair

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  1. Sreekanth Giri Bhavan
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  2. Sajiya Mujawar
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Contributions

Sreekanth Giri Bhavan, Sajiya Mujawar: conceptualization, methodology, administration, sampling, surveys, data collection, writing—original draft preparation. Shivkumar Haragi, Jagannath Rathod, Pramila S: methodology, survey design, data compilation and analysis, writing—original draft preparation. Baban Ingole, Bijukumar Appukuttan, Ranjeet Kutty, Parveen Kumar: methodology, survey design, data compilation and analysis, writing—reviewing and editing. Murugesan Sri Hari, Dhanya Mohan Lal, Trivesh Mayekar: data compilation and analysis, writing—reviewing and editing. Kiranya Bella: data compilation and analysis, writing—original draft preparation.

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Correspondence to Sreekanth Giri Bhavan.

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Bhavan, S.G., Mujawar, S., Haragi, S. et al. A multi-metric fish index to measure the ecological quality of tropical predominantly open estuaries along the western coast of India. Environ Monit Assess 195, 421 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11013-2

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