AMBI and M-AMBI indices as a robust tool for assessing the effluent stressed ecosystem in Nandgaon Coastal waters, Maharashtra, India

• Published in: Estuarine, coastal and shelf science Vol. 146; pp. 60 - 67
• Main Authors: Sivaraj, S., Murugesan, P., Muthuvelu, S., Vivekanandan, K.E., Vijayalakshmi, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Brackish; Brackish water ecosystems; chemical pollutants; Coastal; Coastal water; ecological groups; Ecological monitoring; Ecosystems; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effluents; environmental assessment; Estuarine environments; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Health; India; Maharashtra; Nandgaon coastal waters; pollution control; sediment analysis; Synecology; Maharashtra; Asia; South Asia; India; ISW, India, Maharashtra; Europe; ISW, India; Nandgaon coastal waters; environmental assessment; sediment analysis; chemical pollutants; pollution control; Maharashtra; ecological groups; India; Brackish water environment; Tropical zone; Pollution control; Nandgaon Coastal waters; Sediments; Stress; Coastal zone; Biotic integrity index; Pollutant; Analysis; Ecosystem; Coastal water; Effluent
• ISSN: 0272-7714; 1096-0015
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecss.2014.05.024

Due to industrialization, estuarine and coastal water receive a bulk amount of effluent/pollutant from various industries; therefore assessment of the health of the ecosystem is very much essential. Although the AMBI (Azti Marine Biotic index) indices have been used to predict the quality of European waters, no implementation of WFD (Water Framework Directives) has been made on Indian waters so far. In view of that, the present study was undertaken to assess the health of a stressed ecosystem of Nandgaon coastal waters, India. The results of AMBI were highly correlated with the total organic carbon in the heavily disturbed area with ecological groups IV and V. Thus, the result of the present study indicates that the AMBI indices could be useful to detect industrial effluent effects in Indian coastal waters and will provide a motivation to extend this kind of analysis over the entire coastal line of India. •A first case study in Indian waters concern.•AMBI and M-AMBI indices as the best tool for assessing benthic community.•The proposed implementation of these indices to assess the health of the ecosystem.•The AMBI values were positively correlated with organic carbon in the sediments.•AMBI indicates that St 1 & 2 were heavily disturbed with EG V and IV.