Journal of Environment and Sociobiology

R. Ranju ¹, L. Bindu ², V. Jayaprakas ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, Kerala University, Karyavattom, Trivandrum-695581, IN
2 Marine Biology Regional Centre, Zoological survey of India, 130, Santhome High Road, Chennai-600028, IN

Abstract

This communication gives an account of 14 species of testate amoebae (Rhizopoda: Protozoa) and three species of ciliates, collected from the Karaparambil near Vaikom Road (Kottayam district) in the estuarine sector of the Vembanad Lake, which is an important Ramsar site covering 3 districts of Kerala, namely, Alapuzha, Kottayam and Ernakulam. This communication appears to be the first report of the freeliving protozoans from this lake.

Keywords

Protozoa, First Report, Vembanad Lake, Kerala.

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R. Ranju ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Marine Biology School of Marine Science, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Cochin-682038, IN

Abstract

The local community extensively utilises the vembanad lake for fishing and other activities like fermentation or retting of coconut husks for coir industry in addition to aquaculture and sand mining. But, treated and untreated sewage extensively finds its way into the lake which is also affected by rice centric development, industrial growth, rapid urbanization, chemical fertilizers and pesticides, lack of proper solid waste management in connection with the tourism, dumping of effluents from motor boats, etc., that comprise the major factors contributing to severe environmental crisis faced by this fragile ecosystem. However, in the present communication, environmental crisis due to coconut husk retting in and around Vaikom region will be highlighted along with its impact on economic resources analysing unsustainable resource depletion in this lake. Retting leads to extensive pollution of water bodies especially the backwaters of Kerala. Vembanad lake faces severe biodiversity loss due to the adverse effect of decades of retting activity and consequent problems arising in the form of unhygienic conditions that prevail in Naanaad, Mathungal (Chembu), Nerekadavu, Kaatikunnu and Panambukadu regions of Vaikom where a number of people are engaged in coir retting activities. Water quality analysed in the study stations show high organic pollution.

Keywords

Vembanad Lake, Vaikom Region, Coir Retting , Bioresource Depletion.

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R. Ranju ¹, N. R. Menon ¹, R. Damodaran ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin - 682016, IN

Abstract

This communication gives an account of 18 species of benthic foraminifera collected from the Agatti Island, Lakshadweep. Out of the 18 species, 12 species belong to the calcareous imperforate group and 6 species of calcareous perforate group. Three species, viz., Quinqueloculina reticulata, Lachlanella cooki, Amphistegina lobifera are recorded for the first time from Indian waters. Six species, viz., Adelosina reticulata, Amphistegina lessonii, Neorotalia calcar, Pyrgo murrhina, Quinqueloculina auberiana and Sorites orbiculus are numerically abundant, with usual higher abundance at lower depth. Tests of the benthic foraminifera were found to have larger size possibly due to the higher availability of sunlight in the much shallower coast which preserve typical tropical oceanic conditions.

Keywords

Benthic foraminifera, Lakshadweep, First Report, Calcareous perforate.

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