The “Sardine run” along the Coastal Waters off Kanhangad (Kasaragod), South West Coast of India

Abstract

The Sardine run associated with a bloom of the diatom genus Fragilariopsis was observed along the inshore coastal waters off Kanhangad during the last phase of the summer monsoon 2019. There was an unusual shoreward dumping of live oil sardines along with the waves throughout the day. High salinity (33 psu) and nutrient concentrations (Nitrate 16.33 μmol L−1 and silicate 13.9 μmol L−1) favoured the proliferation of Fragilariopsis spp. (7 × 104 cells L−1), in the coastal waters making them a major diet component of the oil sardines.