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Status and critical knowledge gaps for integrated lagoon management – Pulicat lagoon, India

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Abstract

Pulicat lagoon is the semi enclosed and second largest brackish water body in tropical India. The morphology, water quality and biological productivity of the lagoon had being subjected to noteworthy changes over the years under the influence of natural as well as human interference. Recent research have revealed that the lagoon losses its biological integrity due to more sedimentation from rivers predominantly in monsoon seasons, lagoon mouth closure, overfishing, pollution from various phenomena such as usage of motor boats, sewage disposal and aquaculture farms. In this work, evaluation of the status of this lagoon in terms of its biological, physical and chemical importance, its flourishing inheritance, the threats to this ecosystem and the knowledge gaps with the recommendations towards protection of its declining biodiversity are discussed.

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Abbreviations

IUCN:

International Union for Conservation of Nature

BIL:

Bird Life International

NBDB:

National Bioresource Development Board

MSSRF:

M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation

UNDP:

United Nations Development Program

DO:

Dissolved Oxygen

BOD:

Biological Oxygen Demand

COD:

Chemical Oxygen Demand

Ca:

Calcium

Mg:

Magnesium

NO3 :

Nitrate

NO2 :

Nitrite

NH3 :

Ammonia nitrogen

PO4 :

Phosphate

Si:

Silica

Chl - a:

Chlorophyll - a

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  1. Centre for Water Resources, Anna University, Chennai, 600025, India

    Edwin Jeba Kumar & Usha Natesan

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Jeba Kumar, E., Natesan, U. Status and critical knowledge gaps for integrated lagoon management – Pulicat lagoon, India. J Coast Conserv 19, 475–489 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-015-0401-0

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