Abstract
Eutrophication has often been one of the major problems encountered in estuaries and coastal waters. The oxic/anoxic status of an estuary can be effectively determined by measurement of the Sediment Oxygen Demand (SOD). The present study forms a pioneering attempt to evaluate the SOD of the Cochin Backwater System (CBS), a tropical eutrophic estuary in the south-west coast of India. The CBS exhibited significant spatio-temporal variations in SOD. The mean net SOD during the dry season (2569.73 μmol O2 m−2 h−1) was almost twice that of the wet season (1431.28 μmol O2 m−2 h−1), presumably due to higher discharge during the latter season. The observed pockets of net oxygen release indicate that the CBS still retains certain autotrophic regions in spite of heavy organic drains. The low oxygen flux in light chambers points towards the role of microphytobenthos in maintaining the oxygen reservoir of the estuarine system.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
