Noctiluca blooms in Port Blair Bay, Andamans

Moderate to intense blooms of the dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans occurred in Port Blair Bay, Andamans during June and July of 2000. The blooms occurred thrice in succession after short periods of waning. The bloom that came about second in the sequence, between 11 and 20 July 2000, gave us an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current science (Bangalore) 2001-07, Vol.81 (2), p.203-206
Main Authors: Eashwar, M., Nallathambi, T., Kuberaraj, K., Govindarajan, G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chlorophylls
Coastal water
India, Andamans, Port Blair Bay
Marine
Nitrates
Noctiluca scintillans
Oxygen
Phosphates
Plankton
Ports
Rain
RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
Sea water
Surface water
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Summary:Moderate to intense blooms of the dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans occurred in Port Blair Bay, Andamans during June and July of 2000. The blooms occurred thrice in succession after short periods of waning. The bloom that came about second in the sequence, between 11 and 20 July 2000, gave us an opportunity to investigate the changes in water characteristics associated with the event. Results indicate that variations in dissolved oxygen concentration were fairly small, whilst nutrient levels and plankton compositions were dramatically altered. Primarily, the bloom led to exclusion of other phytoplankton, also limiting zooplankton prevalence to essentially copepods. The bloom resulted in exceptionally high levels of chlorophyll c, which exceeded levels of chlorophyll a by several folds. Nutrient levels were characterized by decrease of nitrate during active periods of the bloom, and sharp increase in phosphate, particularly during the waning phase.
ISSN:0011-3891