Seasonal variations of zooplankton in Shirgaon estuary of Ratnagiri, Maharashtra

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to study the composition of zoo-plankton in relation to Physico-chemical water parameters of five sampling stations of Shirgaon estuary along the Ratnagiri coast from February 2013 to January 2014. Zooplankton and water quality parameters were investigated to changes of zooplankton community. Variation in atmospheric temperature 17.9-39.7 0C, water temperature 19.7 -35.1 0C, pH varied from 5.3-8.1, light penetration varied from 1-24 cm, salinity varied from 0-28.7 psu, dissolved oxygen varied from 0.4-4.8 mgl-1, alkalinity varied from 3-80 mgl-1, nitrate varied from 0.000323-0.00154 µMl-1, nitrite varied from 0.000052-0.000208 µMl-1, phosphate varied from 0.00253-0.000515 µMl-1, silicate varied from 0.00129-0.000503 µMl-1. A of total of 12 zooplankton species were recorded comprising, 2 spp. of crustaceans, 3 spp. of tintinnids, 2 spp. of cnidarian, 1 sp. of dinoflagellate, 1 sp. of limacinidae, 1 sp. of chaetognatha and species of others i.e fish eggs and polychaete larvae.