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Transport of dissolved nutrients and chlorophyll a in a tropical estuary, southwest coast of India

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Abstract

Intra-tidal variability in the transport of materials through the Cochin estuary was studied over successive spring and neap tides to estimate the export fluxes of nutrients and chlorophyll a into the adjoining coastal zone. The results showed that there was a substantial increase in the freshwater flow into the estuary following heavy rains (~126 mm) prior to the spring tide observations. The estuary responded accordingly with a relatively larger export through the Cochin inlet during spring tide over neap tide. Despite an increased freshwater discharge during spring tide, the export fluxes of phosphate and ammonia were high during neap tide due to their input into the estuary through anthropogenic activities. The significance of this study is that the export fluxes from the Cochin estuary could be a major factor sustaining the spectacular monsoon fishery along the southwest coast of India.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the Director, National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) and the Scientist-in-Charge, NIO, Kochi for the encouragement and help. We extend our thanks to all research students of NIO for their valuable help during field collections. This study forms a part of the project “Ecosystem modeling of Cochin backwaters” funded by Integrated Coastal and Marine Area Management(ICMAM-PD), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Chennai. Author, Vinita Janardanan, is also grateful to Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi, for financial support in the form of a senior research fellowship. This is NIO Contribution No.5552.

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  1. K. H. Fausia

    Present address: Kerala Agricultural University, Aromatic and Medicinal Plants Research Station, Asamannoor, Kochi, Kerala, 683549, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Regional Centre, CSIR National Institute of Oceanography, P.B. No. 1913, Cochin, 682018, India

    K. R. Lallu, K. H. Fausia, J. Vinita, K. K. Balachandran, K. R. Naveen Kumar & T. V. Rehitha

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Lallu, K.R., Fausia, K.H., Vinita, J. et al. Transport of dissolved nutrients and chlorophyll a in a tropical estuary, southwest coast of India. Environ Monit Assess 186, 4829–4839 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-3741-6

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