Sediments are the reserve of environmental variation and analysis gives the diverse nature of
the environmental chemical pattern. Present attempt provides an insight on the
biogeochemistry (BGC) of sediment in selected stations of Kerala coast, India. Sampling
along the Kerala coast was done during May – June 2009 in cruise no: 267 of Fishery and
Oceanographic Research Vessel, Sagar Sampada. Eleven samples were collected from four
stations - Cape, Trivandrum, Kollam and Cochin. Study of organic matter (OM) is significant
as it exerts a strong control on the diagenic alterations in the sediment. Samples were
analyzed for their Texture; OM- Protein, Carbohydrate, Tannin and lignin, Lipid; Trace
metal; Total phosphorus and CHN. Among the eleven analyzed sediment, sample from
Cochin station has high clay (>30%) and silt (>40%) content. The rest of the stations showed
elevated amount of sand content. Generally the investigation reveals an inverse relation
between lipid with other OM- Protein, Carbohydrate, Tannin and lignin. The order of relative
distribution of OM were Protein > Carbohydrate > Tannin and Lignin > Lipid. High
concentration of trace metal, Fe was found at Kollam and Cochin. Trace metal concentration
was directly related to OM distribution. But C/N and Fe/P ratios were inversely related to OM
and trace metal.
Description:
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Volume 3, No 1, 2012
Bright Singh, I S; Rosamma, Philip; Neil, Scholastin Correya; Jimly, C Jacob; Ramya, K D(Pelagia Research Library, May 1, 2013)
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Abstract:
The composition and variability of heterotrophic bacteria along the shelf sediments of south west coast of India and
its relationship with the sediment biogeochemistry was investigated. The bacterial abundance ranged from 1.12 x
103 – 1.88 x 106 CFU g-1 dry wt. of sediment. The population showed significant positive correlation with silt (r =
0.529, p< 0.05), organic carbon (OC) (r = 0.679, p< 0.05), total nitrogen (TN) (r = 0.638, p< 0.05), total protein
(TPRT) (r = 0.615, p< 0.05) and total carbohydrate (TCHO) (r = 0.675, p< 0.05) and significant negative
correlation with sand (r = -0.488, p< 0.05). Community was mainly composed of Bacillus, Alteromonas, Vibrio,
Coryneforms, Micrococcus, Planococcus, Staphylococcus, Moraxella, Alcaligenes, Enterobacteriaceae,
Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Flavobacterium and Aeromonas. BIOENV analysis explained the best possible
environmental parameters i.e., carbohydrate, total nitrogen, temperature, pH and sand at 50m depth and organic
matter, BPC, protein, lipid and temperature at 200m depth controlling the distribution pattern of heterotrophic
bacterial population in shelf sediments. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the environmental variables
showed that the first and second principal component accounted for 65% and 30.6% of the data variance
respectively. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) revealed a strong correspondence between bacterial
distribution and environmental variables in the study area. Moreover, non-metric MDS (Multidimensional Scaling)
analysis demarcated the northern and southern latitudes of the study area based on the bioavailable organic matter
Description:
Advances in Applied Science Research, 2013, 4(3):315-328
Rejo,Mon George; K K C Nair(NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OCEANOGRAPHY, November , 2005)
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Abstract:
The present study has been initiated to unravel the distribution of trace metals and its geochemical behavior in the Indian EEZ of the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. Trace metal accumulation in aquatic consumers is of interest to ecologists and environmentalists so as to understand the fate and effect of contaminants in the food web dynamics and the biogeochemical cycling of trace metals. It is well established that oceanic distribution of macronutrients such as nitrate, phosphate and silicate provide critical to biological growth and related geochemical processes. In this study it can be inferred, that there is a need for a better understanding of background informations on trace metal concentrations with respect to space and time and their fluctuations in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal zooplankton. Without a sound knowledge on spatio-temporal fluctuations, it will be impossible to differentiate anthropogenic metal inputs from natural background concentrations with a routine biomonitoring programme. Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd & Pb showed a slight enrichment in zooplankton from the Arabian Sea during spring intermonsoon compared to intermonsoon fall. The relative enrichment of Fe, Cu & Zn in zooplankton from the Arabian Sea during intermonsoon spring than intermonsoon fall was due to favourable bioaccumulation factors of these elements during this season. Nevertheless this study can be looked upon as a starting point for further investigations on these biogeochemically important processes, which are vital in addressing the dynamics of productivity of waters.
Chandrasekaran, M; Jayachandran, K(Chapman & Hall, February , 1998)
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Abstract:
An Acinetobacter sp, isolated from latex centrifugation effluent, effectively coagulated skim rubber from skim latex.
After coagulation for 48 h without the addition of any nutrients, at an optimum dilution of 1:10(v/v) and with an
inoculum concentration of 6.4 mg dry cell /ml, the yield of the skim rubber was 8 % (w/v) and the COD of the residual
solution was only 0.4 g/l. chemical coagulation at the same dilution resulted in 7 % (w/v) yield of dry rubber content
and 2.2 g COD /l.
Description:
Biotechnology Letters, Vol 20, No 2, February 1998, pp. 161–164
Devasia, K V; Dr.Balakrishnan, K P(Cochin University of Science and Technology, November 10, 1983)
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Abstract:
This thesis Entitled Biology of Decapod crustaceans in different Environmental conditions. Prawn culture is practiced in Kerala in two types of fields namely seasonal and perennial; In seasonal fields paddy is grown during the monsoon period and prawns are cultured during the rest of the year. when compared to seasonal fields; perennial fields are subjected to much fluctuations in its environmental characteristics. The perennial fields were found more productive than seasonal fields. The benthic production in perronial fields were almost double that of seasonal fields. But in the matter of species diversity both fields were equal. Seasonal changes were observéd in the species abundance of benthic organisms in both the seasonal and perennial fields. Both isometric and allometric growth were noticed in P. indicus .But during most of the months the growth was near to isometric. The condition of the prawn also fluctuated between better and poor.During most of the months the prawn in perennial fields wore in good condition while in the seasonal fields the condition changed from year to year. This indicates that the perennial field provides a better habitat for P. indicus.
Description:
School of Environmental Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology
Nandakumar, G; Dr.Damodaran,R(Cochin University of Science and Technology, 1997)
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Abstract:
Crustaceans comprising numerous edible species of prawns, lobsters and crabs inhabiting different ecosystem form significant portion of the aquatic food resources of the world. Among the crustaceans, prawns are the most commercially exploited group and hold premier rank by virtue of their importance as an esteemed food of gourmet and on account of their high export value. Met-ape-naeus manoceras (Fabricius, 1798) which is known IS,Speckled shrimp’ (FAD name) and ‘Brown shrimp’ ( common nameused in the industry) is one of the commercially important marine penaeid prawns of India. During 1995, M. monaceros catch constituted 7.5 Z of the all India marine penaeid prawn landings. M. monoceros attains a maximum length of about 200 mm and has high export potential.Thus realising the growing importance of M. monoceros in the capture fisheries, it was felt, that it would be ideal to carry out detailed study on this species for rational exploitation and management of its fishery. Hence, the present work entitled, “Biology, population characteristics and fishery of the speckled shrimp Hetapenaeus monoceros (Fabricius, 1798) along Kerala coast“ was undertaken by the author. The thesis is laid out in seven chapters comprising TAXONOMY, FOOD AND FEEDING HABITS, AGE AND GROWTH, REPRODUCTION,LENGTH-WEIGHT RELATIONSHIP, FISHERY and POPULATION DYNAMICS
Description:
Division of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry,
School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology
Manju, M.N; Dr. N. Chandramohanakumar(Cochin University of Science and Technology, April 6, 2015)
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Abstract:
Mangroves are diverse group of trees, palms, shrubs, and ferns that share a
common ability to live in waterlogged saline soils exposed to regular flooding, and are
highly specialised plants which have developed unusual adaptations to the unique
environmental conditions. They are sites of accumulation and preservation of both
allochthonous and autochthonous organic matter owing to their strategic loction at
the interface between land and sea and prevailing reducing environment. They are
among the most productive ecosystems and are efficient carbon sinks with most of the
carbon stored in sediments.Mangrove ecosystems play a significant role in global
carbon cycle and hence the knowledge on the processes controlling the delivery of
organic matter to coastal sediments, and how these signatures are preserved in the
sediment is a prerequisite for the understanding of biogeochemical cycles.
The evaluation of nature and sources of organic matter can be accomplished by
the determination of biochemical constituents like carbohydrates, proteins and lipids.
When characterised at molecular level, lipids provide valuable information about the
sources of organic matter, even though they account only small fraction of organic
matter. They are useful for the paleo-environmental reconstruction because of their low
reactivity, high preservation potential and high source specificity relative to other
organic class of compounds. The application of recent analytical techniques has
produced a wealth of useful information but has also indicated the gaps in our
knowledge on cycling of organic matter in the coastal ecosystems. The quantity and
quality of organic matter preserved in sediments vary depending up on the nature of
material delivered to the sediment and on the depositional environment. The input from
both autochthonous and allochthonous sources sharpens the complexity of
biogeochemistry of mangrove ecosystem and hence bulk sedimentary parameters are not completely successful in evaluating the sources of organic matter in mangrove
sediments. An effective tool for the source characterisation of organic matter in coastal
ecosystems is biomarker approach. Biomarkers are chemical "signatures" present in
environmental samples whose structural information can be linked to its biological
precursor. The usefulness of molecular biomarkers depends on high taxonomic
specificity, potential for preservation, recalcitrant against geochemical changes, easily
analysable in environmental samples and should have a limited number of well-defined
sources.
Sujatha, C H; Aneeshkumar, N(Elsevier, January 2, 2012)
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Abstract:
Sedimentary biomarker pigments around Cochin estuary situated in the southwest coast of India were
determined by HPLC. Fucoxanthin, an indicator of diatom was observed to be the most abundant
carotenoid pigment in the estuary. Dinoflagellate derived carotenoid pigment peridinin was confined in
the southern part of estuary and zeaxanthin pigment indicative of cyanobacteria were more found in
sites influenced by anthropogenic activities. One compound having close similarity to fucoxanthin was
also detected. Alloxanthin (cryptophyceae), chl b (green algae), canthaxanthin, neoxanthin, lutein and
peridinin isomer were also detected by spectra and corresponding algal class were identified. The highest
concentration of chl a (11.01 mg g 1) found near to the anthropogenic affected area while the lowest chl
a (0.65 mg g 1) was recorded in industrial area. Degradation products of chl a, such as pheophorbide and
pheophytin were observed and principal mode of mechanism of degradation were derived. Higher
pheopigments content than chl a, reflects a density trapping of dead cells and early degradation of
phytopigments from grazing activities
Description:
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 99 (2012) 182-190
Sunesh, Thampy; Dr.Ramachandran,A(Cochin University of Science And Technology, July , 2009)
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Garra surendranathanii is a hill stream cyprinid endemic to Kerala.
According to IUCN based classification, G. surendranathanii is grouped under
the threatened category. This endemic fish is having highly restricted and
fragmented distribution and reported only from 5 river systems viz. Chalakudy,
Periyar, Pamba, Achenkoil and Bharathapuzha. Categorization of this fish as a
potential ornamental candidate can invariably add more pressure on the threat
status of this particular species. Hence, this species is considered as one which
requires foremost attention for conservation. Hitherto, no infomiation is
available on the bionomics, resource characteristics and any conservation
attempts of G. surendranathanii. Studies on detailed life history traits and
development of captive breeding technique are indispensable for successful
fishery management.The present study was undertaken with the following obj ectives:
To study the Length-weight relationship and condition factor to
ascertain the relationship between length and weight and general
wellbeing ofthe fish To study the age and growth to understand the age composition of the
exploited stock, age at first maturation and life span of the species. To study the reproductive biology of G. surendranathanii to gain insights in the process of gametogenesis, spawning, sex ratio, fecundity and other related aspects which are essential for developing captive
breeding technology of this species. To develop captive breeding technology and cryopreservation ofgametes of G. surendranathanii for conservation
Description:
School of marine sciences, department of industrial fisheries, Cochin University of Science And Technology
Euphrasia, C J; Dr.Madhusoodana,Kurup B(Cochin University Of Science And Technology, July 30, 2004)
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Abstract:
The previous faunistic studies were concentrated.on the taxonomical and zoogeo—
graphical aspects. These studies contributed to many new additions to
the fish fauna of Kerala meanwhile many species described earlier are
reported missing in recent years. Many fish species were collected only
once or twice by scientists. Detailed information on distribution, habitat,
feeding habits, reproduction, population size, etc. are available only with
regard to a very few fish species. A meaningful assessment on the
biodiversity status of the majority of freshwater fishes cannot be done for
want of sufficient data base and therefore, no suitable conservation and
management programmes are forthcoming for the protection and
preservation of the unique fish germplasm resources of Kerala. The
present study was conceptualised and undertaken mostly aiming at
bridging these gaps by generating an authentic data base on the
distribution, resource characteristics and bionomics of the threatened
fishes inhabiting the rivers of Kerala. Osteobrama bakeri (Day) is an endemic fish having a very highly restricted and fragmented distribution in Periyar, Chalakudy, Kabini,
Kallada and Meenachil rivers of Kerala. This belongs to vulnerable
category and is locally known as Mullanpaval which is valued as food
fish. Besides, due to its vibrant and attractive colouration and easiness
for domestication, it has great potential for being propagated as an
ornamental fish. Hitherto, no information is available on the bionomics
and resource characteristics of this species. Studies on detailed life
history traits are indispensable for fishery management, development of
captive breeding technique and implementation of various conservation
programmes. In the present study, a pioneer attempt is also made to
investigate the life history traits, resource characteristics, proximate
composition, etc. of O.baken'.
Description:
School of Industrial Fisheries
Cochin University of Science and Technology
Sareen Sarah, John; Reed, Robert H.; Bright Singh, I S(Cochin University Of Science And Technology, December , 2014)
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Abstract:
A study was undertaken to isolate phytase producers from
environment and to segregate the most highly efficient phytase producer and to
develop a bioprocess technology for commercial application. During this
process, a potential phytase producer Bacillus MCCB 242 was isolated and
characterized phenotypically and genotypically. Subsequently, phytase production
was optimized, the enzyme purified and characterized and an appropriate
downstream process also could be standardized.Precisely, through this work an environmental isolate Bacillus MCCB 242 could be brought out as phytase producer for commercial application. The enzyme production could be optimized and characterized, and an appropriate
downstream process standardized. Cytotoxicity studies revealed the enzyme
safe for feed application, especially in fish.