POST FLOOD WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT IN SELECTED COASTAL MARINE ECOSYSTEMS OF KERALA, INDIA DURING 2018

Water quality assessment was done during August - September, 2018 in selected coastal marine ecosystems viz. lower end of estuaries, intertidal waters of  beaches, mudbank region and inshore waters covering the districts of Malappuram, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Kollam in Kerala, India. The surface waters were sampled to analyse selected water quality indicators using standard protocols and analytical methods (APHA 1998; USEPA, 2006).

The results revealed that, compared to the pre flood period, in the Vembanad  and Ashtamudi Lakes, there were increased content of  nutrients, especially the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) (Tables 1 & 2). The major share of DIN was from the content of total ammoniacal nitrogen. Total Suspended Solids (TSS) was higher in Ashtamudi Lake but not so in Vembanad Lake. In both the Lakes, the chlorophyll contents were higher compared to the pre flood period. Similar trend was seen for nutrients and chlorophyll in the samples collected from the intertidal waters.  The mudbank region showed increased nutrients, chlorophyll and TSS. The near shore regions off Kochi and off Neendakara also showed increased nutrients, chlorophyll and TSS.