Zooplankton community structure across an eddy-generated upwelling band close to a tropical bay-mangrove ecosystem

Mesoscale eddies in the world’s oceans are ubiquitous and bring about episodic pulses of nutrients into the photic zone. Transient in nature, the role of eddy pumping in coastal enrichment via plankton production, and subsequent organic flux is not yet fully realised. In the context of a cyclonic cold-core eddy that propagates annually under the influence of the East India Coastal Current and enriches coastal waters in the western Bay of Bengal north of 16°N, a detailed study on zooplankton community structure along with phytoplankton composition and associated water quality was undertaken during April–May 2002 coinciding with the spring intermonsoon. Zooplankton samples were collected at 32 hydrographically different (salinity 24.5–35.6 PSU) GPS fixed locations representing bay-mangrove areas and nearshore waters (30 m) close to the River Godavari, which is one of India’s largest estuarine systems. During the study, the bay-coastal waters were typified by elevated nutrient levels (nitrate 10.73–22.04 μM), high salinity (27.98–35.52 PSU), and relatively low temperatures (30.63–31.40°C). Altogether, 95 zooplankton taxa were encountered with copepods forming the predominant population. Agglomerative Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (AHCA) and Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) based on Bray–Curtis similarity (PRIMER) analysis revealed appreciable alterations in zooplankton structure across bay-mangrove locations and coastal waters (Stress 0.11; ANOSIM test Global R: 0.94, P = 0.1%). Similarity Percentage (SIMPER) analysis revealed zooplankton associations through “discriminating species” for each location (Kakinada Bay, Cluster I, 27.9 ± 3.0 PSU; upwelling band, cluster II, 35.5 ± 0.2 PSU; offshore waters, cluster III, 34.2 ± 0.4 PSU; mangrove outlets, cluster IV, 32.7 ± 1.3 PSU and mangrove creeks, cluster V, 33.5 ± 0.6 PSU). The index of multivariate dispersion (IMD) illustrated high variability in zooplankton standing stock for mangrove/sea locations relative to the bay. Concurrent observations on phytoplankton revealed the importance of diatoms (r: 0.640, P ≤ 0.05). Within the eddy-generated band of upwelled water, a significant top-down control of diatoms by herbivorous zooplankton resulted in a comparative increase in abundance of dinophyceans. Based on zooplankton abundance data and species association patterns, it was possible to distinguish different zooplankton/copepod communities in accordance with mesoscale variability in physical, chemical and biological processes under tropical conditions. This was confirmed through canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) that represented coastal-offshore waters and the Bay environment in this area.     

Modelling livelihoods and household resilience to droughts using Bayesian networks

Over the last four decades, the Indian government has been investing heavily in watershed development (WSD) programmes that are intended to improve the livelihoods of rural agrarian communities and maintain or improve natural resource condition. Given the massive investment in WSD in India, and the recent shift from micro-scale programmes (<500 ha) to meso-scale (~5000 ha) clusters, robust methodological frameworks are needed to measure and analyse impacts of interventions across landscapes as well as between and within communities. In this paper, the sustainable livelihoods framework is implemented using Bayesian networks (BNs) to develop models of drought resilience and household livelihoods. Analysis of the natural capital component model provides little evidence that watershed development has influenced household resilience to drought and indicators of natural capital, beyond an increased area of irrigation due to greater access to groundwater. BNs have proved a valuable tool for implementing the sustainable livelihoods framework in a retrospective evaluation of implemented WSD programmes. Many of the challenges of evaluating watershed interventions using BNs are the same as for other analytical approaches. These are reliance on retrospective studies, identification and measurement of relevant indicators and isolating intervention impacts from contemporaneous events. The establishment of core biophysical and socio-economic indicators measured through longitudinal household surveys and monitoring programmes will be critical to the success of BNs as an evaluation tool for meso-scale WSD.     

Approach for the use of MSW settlement predictions in the assessment of landfill capacity based on reliability analysis

In the analysis and design of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills, there are many uncertainties associated with the properties of MSW during and after MSW placement. Several studies are performed involving different laboratory and field tests to understand the complex behavior and properties of MSW, and based on these studies, different models are proposed for the analysis of time dependent settlement response of MSW. For the analysis of MSW settlement, it is very important to account for the variability of model parameters that reflect different processes such as primary compression under loading, mechanical creep and biodegradation. In this paper, regression equations based on response surface method (RSM) are used to represent the complex behavior of MSW using a newly developed constitutive model. An approach to assess landfill capacities and develop landfill closure plans based on prediction of landfill settlements is proposed. The variability associated with model parameters relating to primary compression, mechanical creep and biodegradation are used to examine their influence on MSW settlement using reliability analysis framework and influence of various parameters on the settlement of MSW are estimated through sensitivity analysis.     

Activity profile of innate immune-related enzymes and bactericidal of freshwater fish epidermal mucus extract at different pH

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The epidermal mucus of fish performs diverse functions from prevention of mechanical abrasion to limit pathogen invasions. The current experiment was...     

Water and sediment quality of Ashtamudi estuary, a Ramsar site, southwest coast of India—a statistical appraisal

Ashtamudi estuary, situated on the southwest coast of India, is enormously affected by anthropogenic interventions. Physicochemical quality of water and sedimentological features of the estuary are evaluated during monsoon and nonmonsoon seasons to elucidate its quality variations and to link the same with existing environmental scenario. The whole data has been factorized using principal component analysis for extracting the total variability and linear relationships existing among a set of different physicochemical parameters of the backwater system. In PCA, high loadings were obtained for conductivity, salinity, fluoride, calcium, magnesium, sulfate, boron, and pH. The results were revealed that all the physicochemical processes depend upon seasonal fluctuation of freshwater input and seawater intrusion. Wide spatial concentration fluctuations of organic carbon and iron in bottom sediment have been noticed and both constituents reveal good correlation with sediment texture. The results showed high deterioration of the physicochemical quality of water during nonmonsoon season with respect to monsoon season.     

Efficiency assessment of Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) treating tannery effluents

The efficacy of Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) based on activated sludge process employed for treatment of tannery effluent was analyzed for the efficiency to reduce chromium and other contaminants. Physico-chemical parameters of treated effluent were found within permissible levels of statutory limits. A significant reduction in COD and BOD levels were achieved during the course of treatment in CETP. A reduction of 98.46%, 87.5%, and 96.15% in bacterial counts especially in pathogens like Escherichia coli, Vibrio spp., and Pseudomonas spp. were observed after treatment. Pathogens were not detected in the dried sludge. Complete elimination of fecal streptococci was observed in treated effluent. Around 10.8% of microbial isolates from the effluent showed ability to reduce chromate >90%. In treated effluent chromium level was 5.48 mg/L, which exceeds the statutory limit of Indian standards. Cleaner production options to reduce chromium levels before discharging into water bodies is discussed.     

Hydrochemistry and dissolved nutrient flux of two small catchment rivers, south-western India

This paper deals with the water chemistry and dissolved nutrient flux of two small mountainous and heavily dammed rivers—Periyar and Chalakudy—of Kerala on the south-west coast of India. The lower reaches of these rivers are affected by sea-water ingression from the Arabian Sea during the non-monsoon season. Human interference through agriculture, urbanization, and industrialization in the lower and middle stretches of the river basins induces marked concentration variations in the hydro-chemical parameters. Except for N & P, all other chemical constituents exhibit high values during the non-monsoon season. Industrial contaminants in specific locations of the Periyar river reduce the pH to lower levels. Nutrients in the two rivers reveal marked seasonal and regional concentration variations. During the monsoon season, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) predominates over dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), but the reverse trend is observed during the non-monsoon season. The Periyar river shows higher average concentrations of DIN (monsoon 801 μg l^-1 and non-monsoon 292 μg l^-1) than Chalakudy river (monsoon 478 μg l^-1 and non-monsoon 130 μg l^-1). Dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) has lower average values in the monsoon season (Periyar river, 38 μg l^-1; Chalakudy river, 42 μg l^-1) than dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) values (Periyar river, 107 μg l^-1; Chalakudy, 62 μg l^-1). The rivers show a marked difference in nutrient flux due to its difference in water discharge/basin characteristics and point/non-point sources of contaminants. The flux rates of DIN, DIP, and DOP during the monsoon are higher than during the non-monsoon season, while those of dissolved silicon (DSi), dissolved Fe (DFe), and DON are lower. On average, the Periyar river discharges 4953 t y^-1 of DIN and 1626 t y^-1 of DON to the coastal waters, and the corres-ponding values of the Chalakudy river are 772 t y^-1 and 596 t y^-1. The Periyar and Chalakudy rivers discharge 245 t y^-1 and 70.8 t y^-1 of DIP, respectively. The total flux of DOP is considerably higher (Periyar river 703 t y^-1 and Chalakudy river 101 t y^-1). The discharge of DSi into the Periyar river (40 193 t y^-1) is nearly five times higher than that in the Chalakudy river (8275 t y^-1). The discharges of DFe through the Periyar and Chalakudy rivers are 257 t y^-1 and 36.7 t y^-1, respectively. To sum up, this study addresses the water quality and nutrient flux of two tropical rivers and discusses the impact of urbanization and industrialization on river-water quality.     

Diesel reformulation using bio-derived propanol to control toxic emissions from a light-duty agricultural diesel engine

In the Indian agricultural sector, millions of diesel-driven pump-sets were used for irrigation purposes. These engines produce carcinogenic diesel particulates, toxic nitrogen oxides (NOx), and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions which threaten the livelihood of large population of farmers in India. The present study investigates the use of n-propanol, a less-explored high carbon bio-alcohol that can be produced by sustainable pathways from industrial and crop wastes that has an attractive opportunity for powering stationary diesel engines meant for irrigation and rural electrification. This study evaluates the use of n-propanol addition in fossil diesel by up to 30% by vol. and concurrently reports the effects of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) on emissions of an agricultural DI diesel engine. Three blends PR10, PR20, and PR30 were prepared by mixing 10, 20, and 30% by vol. of n-propanol with fossil diesel. Results when compared to baseline diesel case indicated that smoke density reduced with increasing n-propanol fraction in the blends. PR10, PR20, and PR30 reduced smoke density by 13.33, 33.33, and 60%, respectively. NOx emissions increased with increasing n-propanol fraction in the blends. Later, three EGR rates (10, 20, and 30%) were employed. At any particular EGR rate, smoke density remained lower with increasing n-propanol content in the blends under increasing EGR rates. NOx reduced gradually with EGR. At 30% EGR, the blends PR10, PR20, and PR30 reduced NOx emissions by 43.04, 37.98, and 34.86%, respectively when compared to baseline diesel. CO emissions remained low but hydrocarbon (HC) emissions were high for n-propanol/diesel blends under EGR. Study confirmed that n-propanol could be used by up to 30% by vol. with diesel and the blends delivered lower soot density, NOx, and CO emissions under EGR.     

Oceanographic Studies off Beypore Port, West Coast of India to Locate a Dredge Dumping Site

This study presents the salient results of the oceanographic investigations carried out along the west coast of India to locate a dumping site for the dredged material generated from the capital of the proposed development of the all weather port. Based on the results of movement of disposed material obtained from a 2 dimensional coastal circulation model and considering the possibility of having a navigational channel later on in line with the port, a dumping site is recommended at the 15 m water depth contour with coordinates: Latitude 11 degrees 07.00'; Longitude 75 degrees 45.60', where the environmental impacts on the ecosystem due to dumping operations is considered to be minimum.