“QUANTITATIVE ABUNDANCE OF Gracilaria corticata AND Hypnea musciformis FROM JALESHWAR COAST OF VERAVAL IN SOUTHERN SAURASTRA”
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Date
2008-07
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jau,junagadh
Abstract
The present investigations were carried out on Quantitative abundance of Gracilaria corticata and Hypnea musciformis from Jaleshwar coast of Veraval in Southern Saurashtra during the month of October 2007 to March-2008.
Species of Gracilaria and Hypnea are used as a major and important source of raw materials for the extraction of agar agar and carrangenan in our country. Veraval on the Saurashtra Coast supports a rich population of these species. Analysis of the above 2 species was carried out at 3 tidal levels separately, i.e. upper, middle and lower littoral regions of the intertidal at Veraval coast. Belt transect method was used to identify the quantitative abundance of both the species of seaweed.
Total biomass of all the three species was more on the lower littoral region than upper or middle littoral region. The highest standing crop biomass for G.corticata and Hypnea musciformis was observed in the month of January while G.folifera has highest biomass in the month of February. Standing crop biomass of H.musciformis was maximum as compared to the other two species of Gracilaria i.e. G.corticata and G.folifera. Out of two species of Gracilaria, G.folifera has a minimum biomass during the entire survey period.
The highest values were observed for all the variables for quantitative assessment of abundance like density, frequency, cover and standing crop biomass for all the three species during the month of December to February.
In the present study no correlation analysis was performed since the survey period was confined only to six months, from October to March, which yielded six monthly values of the seawater characteristics. Naturally, a correlation analysis with mere six values would not yield any correct statistical inference in this case.
But, superimposing the growth characteristics on the monthly seawater characteristics, there is circumstantial evidence to show that the growth of seaweeds was maximum when the temperature of seawater was minimum and the dissolve oxygen content was maximum.
Thus it is true to conclude that there is a positive relationship of the seaweed growth with low seawater temperature and high DO content in the seawater.