Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Spatiotemporal distribution and composition of phytoplankton assemblages in a coastal tropical lagoon: Chilika, India

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Asia’s largest lagoon, Chilika, is a shallow water estuary and a designated “Ramsar” site located in the east coast of India. The spatiotemporal diversity of phytoplankton based on the monthly sampling between July 2011 and June 2012 was investigated in relation to physicochemical variables of the surface water column from 13 stations. The salinity was minimum (average 9) during the monsoon which was primarily due to riverine discharge. As the season progressed towards post-monsoon, average salinity of the whole lagoon reached to 10 which further increased to 20 during pre-monsoon season. A total of 259 species of phytoplankton, mostly dominated by the Bacillariophyta (138 species) followed by Dinophyta (38 species), Chlorophyta (32 species), Cyanophyta (29 species), Euglenophyta (18 species), and Chrysophyta (4 species), were recorded in this study. Different ecological sectors of the lagoon (except the northern sector) were dominated by diatoms, while the northern sector due to its freshwater regime supported large population of euglenoids. Based on the multivariate ordination analysis, salinity regime and light availability played important role in determining the distribution, diversity, and composition of phytoplankton communities. Overall, this study documented a very high diversity of phytoplankton and highlighted the importance of taking extensive sampling in getting a clearer understanding of phytoplankton community structure in less-studied environments such as Chilika lagoon.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adhikary, S. P., & Sahu, J. K. (1992). Distribution and seasonal abundance of algal forms in Chilika Lake, east coast of India. Japanese Journal of Limnology, 53, 197–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braak, C. J. F. (1988). CANOCO—an extension of DECORANA to analyze species-environment relationships. Plant Ecology, 75, 159–160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Braak, C. J. F., & Verdonschot, P. F. M. (1995). Canonical correspondence analysis and related multivariate methods in aquatic ecology. Aquatic Sciences-Research Across Boundaries, 57, 255–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brogueira, M. J., Rosário, Oliveira M. D. & Cabeçadas, G. (2007). Phytoplankton community structure defined by key environmental variables in Tagus estuary, Portugal. Marine Environmental Research, 64(5), doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres

  • Cabrita, M. T. (2014). Phytoplankton community indicators of changes associated with dredging in the Tagus estuary (Portugal). Environmental Pollution, 191, 17–24. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2014.04.001.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Canini, N. D., Metillo, E. B., & Azanza, R. V. (2013). Monsoon-influenced phytoplankton community structure in a Philippine mangrove estuary. Tropical Ecology, 54(3), 331–343.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cermeno, P., Rodriguez-Ramos, T., Dornelas, M., Figueiras, F. G., Maranon, E., Teixeira, I. G., & Vallina, S. M. (2013). Species richness in marine phytoplankton communities is not correlated to ecosystem productivity. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 488, 1–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chan, T. U., & Hamilton, D. P. (2001). Effect of freshwater flow on the succession and biomass of phytoplankton in a seasonal estuary. Marine and Freshwater Research, 52(6), 869–884.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, K. R., & Warwick, R. M. (2001). Changes in marine communities: an approach to statistical analysis and interpretation (1st ed.). Plymouth: Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cox, J. E. (1996). Identification of freshwater diatoms from live material. London: Chapman & Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dannielsdottir, M. G., Brett, M. T., & Arhonditsis, G. B. (2007). Phytoplankton food quality control of planktonic food web processes. Hydrobiologia, 589, 29–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, O.A., & Ugwumba, O.A. (2013). Tidal influence on nutrients status and phytoplankton population of Okpoka Creek, upper Bonny Estuary, Nigeria. Journal of Marine Biology, 1–16, doi.org/10.1155/2013/684739.

  • Desikachary, T.V. (1986–89). Atlas of diatoms, monographs. Fasicle II, III and IV. Madras Science Foundation: Madras.

  • Devasundaram, M.P. and Roy, J.C. (1954). A preliminary study of the plankton of the Chilka Lake for the year 1950–1951. Symposium on Marine and Fresh-Water Plankton in the Indo-Pacific, Indo-Pacific. Fish. Com. Publication, 1–7.

  • Dixit, S. S., Smol, J. P., Kingston, J. C., & Charles, D. F. (1992). Diatoms: powerful indicators of environmental change. Environmental Science and Technology, 26, 23–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dube, A., & Jayaraman, G. (2008). Mathematical modeling of the seasonal variability of plankton in a shallow lagoon. Non-linear Analysis: Theory, Methods, and Application, 69, 850–865.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, K. F., Litchman, E., & Klausmeier, C. A. (2013). Functional traits explain phytoplankton community structure and seasonal dynamics in a marine ecosystem. Ecology Letters, 16, 56–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghosh, A. K., Pattnaik, A. K., & Ballatore, T. J. (2006). Chilika Lagoon: restoring ecological balance and livelihoods through re-salinization. Lakes & Reservoirs: Research & Management, 11(4), 239–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gowda, G., Gupta, T. R. C., Rajesh, K. M., Gowda, H., Lingadhal, C., & Ramesh, A. M. (2001). Seasonal distribution of phytoplankton in Nethravathi estuary, Mangalore. Journal of Marine Biological Association of India, 43, 31–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grasshoff, K., Ehrhardt, M., & Kremling, K. (1999). Methods of seawater analysis (3rd ed.). Weinheim: Verlag Chemie.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, G. V. M., Sarma, V. V. S. S., Robin, R. S., Raman, A. V., Kumar, M., Rakesh, M., & Subramanian, B. R. (2008). Influence of net ecosystem metabolism in transferring riverine organic carbon to atmospheric CO2 in a tropical coastal lagoon (Chilka Lake, India). Biogeochemistry, 87(3), 265–285.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hallegraeff, G. M., McCausland, M. A., & Brown, R. K. (1995). Early warning of toxic dinoflagellate blooms of Gymnodinium catenatum in southern Tasmanian waters. Journal of Plankton Research, 17, 1163–1176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herbert, R. A. (1999). Nitrogen cycling in coastal marine ecosystems. FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 3, 563–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hotzel, G., & Croome, R. (1999). A phytoplankton methods manual for Australian freshwaters. LWRRDC occasional paper, 22/99, Canberra.

  • Idiem’Opute, F. (1990). Phytoplankton flora in the Warri/Forcados Estuary of southern Nigeria. Hydrobiologia, 208, 101–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • John, D. M., Whitton, B. A., & Brook, A. J. (2003). The freshwater algal flora of the British Isles. An identification guide to freshwater and terrestrial. Algae: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Justic, D., Rabalais, N. N., & Turner, R. E. (2005). Coupling between climate variability and coastal eutrophication: evidence and outlook for the northern Gulf of Mexico. Journal of Sea Research, 54, 25–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanuri, V.V., Muduli, P.R., Robin, R.S., Kumar, B.C., Lovaraju, A., Ganguly, D., Patra S., Rao, G.N., Raman, A.V., Subramanian B.R. (2013). Plankton metabolic processes and its significance on dissolved organic carbon pool in a tropical brackish water lagoon. Continental Shelf Research, 61–62, 52–61, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2013.04.006.

  • Liu, S. M., Hong, G. H., Zhang, J., Ye, X. W., & Jiang, X. L. (2009). Nutrient budgets for large Chinese estuaries and embayment. Biogeosciences, 6, 2245–2263.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lueangthuwapranit, C., Sampantarak, U., & Wongsai, S. (2011). Distribution and abundance of phytoplankton: influence of salinity and turbidity gradients in the Na Thap River, Songkhla Province, Thailand. Journal of Coastal Research, 27(3), 585–594.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maileht, K., Nõges, T., Nõges, P., Ott, I., Mischke, U., Carvalho, L., & Dudley, B. (2013). Water colour, phosphorus and alkalinity are the major determinants of the dominant phytoplankton species in European lakes. Hydrobiologia, 704(1), 115–126.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, G. D., Vijay, J. G., Laluraj, C. M., Madhu, N. V., Joseph, T., Nair, M., Gupta, G. V. M., & Balachandran, K. K. (2008). Fresh water influence on nutrient stochiometry in atropical estuary, southwest coast of India. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 6, 57–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGlathery, K. J., Sundbäck, K., & Anderson, I. C. (2007). Eutrophication in shallow coastal bays and lagoons: the role of plants in the coastal litter. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 348, 1–18.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Millero, F. J. (1986). The pH of estuarine waters. Limnology and Oceanography, 31, 839–847.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mohanty, D., & Adhikary, S. P. (2013). Assessment of changes in the algal diversity of Chilika Lagoon after opening of New Mouth to Bay of Bengal. Journal of Water Resource and Protection, 5, 611–623.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muduli, P. R., Kanuri, V. V., Robin, R. S., Charan Kumar, B., Patra, S., Raman, A. V., Rao, G. N., & Subramanian, B. R. (2012). Spatio-temporal variation of CO2 emission from Chilika Lake, a tropical coastal lagoon, on the east coast of India. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 113, 305–313.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muduli, P. R., Kanuri, V. V., Robin, R. S., Charan Kumar, B., Patra, S., Raman, A. V., Rao, G. N., & Subramanian, B. R. (2013). Distribution of dissolved inorganic carbon and net ecosystem production in a tropical brackish water lagoon, India. Continental Shelf Research., 64, 75–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mulderij, G., Van Nes, E. H., & Van Donk, E. (2007). Macrophyte–phytoplankton interactions: the relative importance of allelopathy versus other factors. Ecological Modelling, 204, 85–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nayak, L., & Behera, D. P. (2004). Seasonal variation of some physicochemical parameters of the Chilika lagoon (east coast of India) after opening the new mouth, near Sipakuda. Indian Journal of Marine Sciences, 33(2), 206–208.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paerl, H. W., Rossignol, K. L., Hall, S. N., Peierls, B. L., & Wetz, M. S. (2010). Phytoplankton community indicators of short- and long-term ecological change in the anthropogenically and climatically impacted Neuse River estuary, North Carolina, USA. Estuaries and Coasts, 33, 485–497.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Palleyi, S., Kar, R. N., & Panda, C. R. (2011). Influence of water quality on the biodiversity of phytoplankton in Dhamra River Estuary of Odisha Coast, Bay of Bengal. Journal of Applied Science and Environmental Management, 15(1), 69–74.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Panigrahi, S., Wikner, J., Panigrahy, R. C., Satapathy, K. K., & Acharya, B. C. (2009). Variability of nutrients and phytoplankton biomass in a shallow brackish water ecosystem Chilika Lagoon, India. Limnology, 10, 73–85.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Patnaik, S., & Sarkar, S. K. (1976). Observations on the distribution of phytoplankton in Chilika lake. Journal of Inland Fisheries Society of India., 8, 38–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pednekar, S. M., Kerkar, V., & Matondkar, S. G. P. (2014). Spatiotemporal distribution in phytoplankton community with distinct salinity regimes along the Mandovi estuary, Goa, India. Turkish Journal of Botany, 38, 800–818.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raman, A. V., Satyanarayana, C., Adiseshasai, K., & Phani Prakash, K. (1990). Phytoplankton characteristics of Chilka lake, a brackish water lagoon along east coast of India. Indian journal of marine sciences, 19(4), 274–277.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rath, J., & Adhikary, S. P. (2005). Algal flora of Chilika lake. New Delhi: Daya publishing House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rath, J., & Adhikary, S. P. (2008). Biodiversity assessment of algae in Chilika Lake, East Coast of India. In Monitoring and modelling lakes and coastal environments, (pp. 22–33). Springer Netherlands

  • Rochelle-Newall, E. J., Chu, V. T., Pringault, O., Amouroux, D., Arfi, R., Bettare, I. Y., Bouvier, T., Bouvier, C., Got, P., Nguyen, T. M. H., Mari, X., Navarro, P., Duong, T. N., Cao, T. T. T., Pham, T. T., Ouillon, S., & Torréton, J.-P. (2011). Phytoplankton diversity and productivity in a highly turbid, tropical coastal system (Bach Dang Estuary, Vietnam). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 62, 2317–2329.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sahoo, S., Baliarsingh, S.K., Lotliker, A.A., & Sahu, K.C. (2014). Imprint of cyclone Phailin on water quality of Chilika lagoon. Current Science, 107(9).

  • Sahu, B. K., Pati, P., & Panigrahy, R. C. (2014). Environmental conditions of Chilika Lake during pre and posthydrological intervention: an overview. Journal of Coastal Conservation. doi:10.1007/s11852-014-0318-z.

    Google Scholar 

  • Satpathy, K. K., Mohanty, A. K., Sahu, G., Sarkar, S. K., Natesan, U., Venkatesan, R., & Prasad, M. V. R. (2010). Variations of physicochemical properties in Kalpakkam coastal waters, east coast of India, during southwest to northeast monsoon transition period. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 171(1–4), 411–424.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stomp, M., Huisman, J., Mittelbach, G. G., Litchman, E., & Klausmeier, C. K. (2011). Large scale biodiversity patterns in freshwater phytoplankton. Ecology, 92(11), 2096–2107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strickland, J. D. H., & Parsons, T. R. (1984). A practical handbook of seawater analysis, vol. 167 (3rd ed.). Ottawa: Queen’s Printer. Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tian, C., Lu, X., Pei, H., Hu, W., & Xie, J. (2013). Seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton and its relationship with the environmental factors in Dongping Lake, China. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 185(3), 2627–2645.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tomas, C. R. (1997). Identifying marine phytoplankton. San Diego: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNESCO. (2001). Potential harmful microalgae of western Indian Ocean—a guide based on preliminary survey. Inter-Organizational Oceanographic Commission.

  • Yool, A., & Tyrrell, T. (2003). Role of diatoms in regulating the ocean’s silicon cycle. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 17(4), doi: 10.1029/2002GB002018.

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the funding support received from the World Bank through the State Project Management Unit (SPMU) of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP) of Odisha. The technical help extended by the Korean National Long-Term Ecological Research (KNLTER) National Institute of Ecology is also appreciated. Authors are thankful to Mr. Bibhuti Bhusan Dora, Research Fellow of the Modeling and GIS Cell for the preparation of sampling station map. The staff of the CDA is acknowledged for their generous help in sampling. We are also thankful to the anonymous reviewers for their suggestions in improving the quality of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wetland Research and Training Centre, Chilika Development Authority, Barkul, Balugaon, Odisha, 752030, India

    Suchismita Srichandan, Saroja K. Barik, Pradipta R. Muduli, Rabindro N. Samal, Ajit K. Pattnaik & Gurdeep Rastogi

  2. Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Pusan, South Korea

    Ji Yoon Kim

  3. Integrative Taxonomy and Microbial Ecology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal, 741246, India

    Punyasloke Bhadury

Authors
  1. Suchismita Srichandan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ji Yoon Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Punyasloke Bhadury
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Saroja K. Barik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Pradipta R. Muduli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Rabindro N. Samal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Ajit K. Pattnaik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Gurdeep Rastogi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gurdeep Rastogi.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supp. Fig. 1

Temporal variation in phytoplankton biomass. Each point represents monthly average value of data collected from 13 stations of the lagoon. Error bars represents standard deviation. (TIFF 99 kb)

Supp. Fig. 2

Temporal variations in phytoplankton species numbers in Chilika lagoon. (TIFF 80 kb)

Supp. Table 1

The list of phytoplankton species in Chilika lagoon (2011.07-2012.06). Footnote: The phytoplankton species that have been highlighted in bold denotes past record from Chilika lagoon and confirmed by thorough perusal of literature (Devasundaram and Roy 1954; Patnaik and Sarkar 1976; Rath and Adhikary 2005, 2008; Panigrahi et al. 2009; Mohanty and Adhikary 2013). (DOCX 33 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Srichandan, S., Kim, J.Y., Bhadury, P. et al. Spatiotemporal distribution and composition of phytoplankton assemblages in a coastal tropical lagoon: Chilika, India. Environ Monit Assess 187, 47 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-4212-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-4212-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation