Comparative efficacy of benthic biotic indices in assessing the Ecological Quality Status (EcoQS) of the stressed Ulhas estuary, India
| Autor: | Tejal Vijapure, Jyoti Mulik, Soniya Sukumaran, Tatiparthi Srinivas |
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| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
India 010501 environmental sciences Aquatic Science Oceanography 01 natural sciences Environmental monitoring Animals Ecosystem Water Pollutants 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Invertebrate geography geography.geographical_feature_category Downstream Region Ecology 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology Estuary Pollution Invertebrates Benthic zone Environmental science Spatial variability Eutrophication Estuaries Environmental Monitoring |
| Zdroj: | Marine pollution bulletin. 120(1-2) |
| ISSN: | 1879-3363 |
| Popis: | Ecostatus of Ulhas estuary, one of the most polluted estuaries along the industrialized and urbanized northwest coast of India, was evaluated by six widely accepted benthic indices viz. H'(log2), AMBI, M-AMBI, BENTIX, BOPA and BO2A to test their efficiency in a tropical setting. The mesohaline zone, which presented eutrophic conditions, was classified as 'bad' by all indices due to the azoic status. Despite significant correlations obtained between indices, there were discrepancies in the accurate level of EcoQS assigned to each station. AMBI was observed to be most efficient in indicating a clear spatial variability from a 'poor' to 'bad' ecological quality status in the middle and upstream zones to an improved status in the downstream region. Limitations of all indices are discussed in light of their suitability for assessing the estuarine environmental condition. The present results could provide a fillip to environmental improvement initiatives currently being undertaken in the estuary. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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