SEASONAL VARIATION IN NUTRIENT LOAD OF WATER ALONG THE RATNAGIRI COAST, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA.

Raju. M. Patil; Sagar. T. Sankpal

Volume : V, Issue : VIII, August - 2015

SEASONAL VARIATION IN NUTRIENT LOAD OF WATER ALONG THE RATNAGIRI COAST, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA.

Raju. M. Patil, Sagar. T. Sankpal,

Abstract :

It is well known that the seasonal climatic changes in the marine environment play a signiåcant role in the ecological cycle of the Indian seas, especially the Arabian Sea. The nutrient contents in any coastal water determine its potential fertility and therefore, it is important to gather information about their distribution and behavior in different coastal ecosystems. The nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, are considered to be more important than the others, as they play a key role in phytoplankton abundance, growth and metabolism. Therefore studies pertaining their seasonal variation become important part. In present study the water samples were collected from åve selected sampling stations along the Ratnagiri coast for the monsoon, pre monsoon and post monsoon period during Feuary 2011 to January, 2012. Various nutrients like sulphate (SO4–) phosphate (PO4–), Nitrate (NO3–) and Ammonia (NH3) were analyzed to assess the spatial and temporal variation in the quality of sea water. Present study revealed that Ratnagiri coastal water is polluted from diffuse and direct sources ofagricultural, urban and industrial pollutants.