Physico-chemical and microbial characteristics of the coral reef environment of the Gulf of Mannar marine biosphere reserve, India

• Published in: Journal of environmental biology Vol. 29; no. 2; p. 215
• Main Authors: Kannapiran, E, Kannan, L, Purushothaman, A, Thangarajdou, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India 01.03.2008
• Subjects: Animals; Anthozoa; Conservation of Natural Resources; Ecosystem; Environmental Monitoring; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; Geologic Sediments - microbiology; Gram-Negative Bacteria - growth & development; Gram-Negative Bacteria - isolation & purification; Gram-Positive Bacteria - growth & development; Gram-Positive Bacteria - isolation & purification; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; India; Oceans and Seas; Population Dynamics; Rain; Salinity; Seawater - chemistry; Seawater - microbiology; Temperature; Time Factors; India
• ISSN: 0254-8704

Investigation on physico-chemical parameters and bacteial characteristics of the coral reef environs of the Gulf of Mannar biosphere reserve was studied. The study found the influence of different physico-chemical parameters on one another and also on the distribution of the total heterotrophic bacteria (THB) in the coral reef areas. Nutrients exhibited considerable seasonal and spatial variations with influence on the bacterial population. Coral reef areas recorded higher bacterial population density both in water (3.5 to 18 x 10(5) CFU ml(-1)) and sediment (1 to 14 x 10(7) CFU g(-1)) samples than the non coral reef areas (3.4 to 10.5 x 10(4) CFU ml(-1) in water and 0.9 to 7 x 10(6) CFU g(-1)). The study also found the dominance of gram negative groups at all the three stations (64.73, 63,5 and 72.59%) with Pseudomonas contributing maximum number of strains in all the samples. In addition Vibrio, Aeromonas, Flavobacterium, Cytophaga, Enterobacter and Alcaligenes were also recorded. The gram positive group was represented by Bacillus, Micrococcus, Arthrobacter and Corynebacterium. The genetic composition of THB isolated from the coral mucus revealed the presence of Vibrio and Micrococcus in all the coral mucus.