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Updated: Jun 10, 2026

The Benthic Exchange of O2, N2 and Dissolved Nutrients Using Small Core Incubations
Published on: August 3, 2016
Eutrophication induced changes in benthic community structure of a flow-restricted tropical estuary (Cochin
G D Martin1, P A Nisha, K K Balachandran
1National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR), Regional Center, P.B.No 1913, Cochin, 682018, India. martinnio@gmail.com
Abstract:
The influence of anthropogenic loading on the distribution of soft bottom benthic organisms of a tropical estuary (Cochin backwaters) was examined. The industrial activities were found to be high in the northern and central part of the estuary, where dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN > 210 μM) and phosphorus (DIP > 6.5 μM) have caused high abundance of chlorophyll a (up to 73 mg m(-3)) and accumulation of organic carbon in sediments (up to 5%). Principal component analysis distinguished three zones in the estuary. The central zone (Z1) was characterized by organic enrichment, low species diversity, and increased number of pollution tolerant species. Long-term deterioration of the estuary is indicated by an increase in the nutrients and chlorophyll a levels by sixfold during the last few decades. Flow restrictions in the lower estuary have lead to a fourfold increase in sediment organic carbon over the period of three decades. The reduced benthic diversity followed by an invasion of opportunistic polychaetes (Capitella capitata), are indicative of a stress in the estuary.
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