Abstract
The present paper deals with the distribution of sediment and sediment-bound nutrients in two important coastal lagoons of southern Kerala such as the Ashtamudi Estuarine Lagoon in the Kollam district and the Kadinamkulam Lagoon in the Thiruvananthapuram district. Among the two lagoons, the former is coast perpendicular, and the latter is coast parallel. An analysis of the textural characteristics reveals that, in both lagoons, the estuarine mouth and areas close to it are dominated by sand and sand-rich sediment species, indicating a high-energy depositional regime prevailing the region. On the other hand, the silt and clay dominant arms are almost sheltered and enjoy a low-energy depositional environment. The nutrient and organic carbon contents in the sheltered areas are significantly higher than the most dynamic high-energy estuarine mouth regions. This peculiar behaviour of these coastal water bodies has to be given adequate importance while laying down strategies for the conservation and management of these fragile aquatic systems in the south-western coast of India in particular and tropical coasts of the world in general.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arunkumar, K. S., & Joseph, S. (2006). Environmental degradation of coastal ecosystems: a case study from Kadinamkulam estuary, southern Kerala. Pollution Research, 25, 535–542.
Azis, P. K. A., & Nair, N. B. (1980). Ecology of the Paravur Kayal along the south-west coast of India. In B. Patel (Ed.), Management of environment (pp. 417–431). New Delhi: Wiley Eastern Ltd.
Babu, K. N., Ouseph, P. P., & Padmalal, D. (1999). Interstitial water–sediment geochemistry of N, P and Fe and its response to overlying waters of tropical estuaries: a case from the south west coast of India. Environmental Geology, 39, 633–640.
Babu, K. N., Ouseph, P. P., & Padmalal, D. (2000). Interstitial water–sediment geochemistry of N, P and Fe and its response to overlying waters of tropical estuaries: a case from the southwest coast of India. Environmental Geology, 39, 633–640.
Badarudeen, A., Maya, K., & Sajan, K. (1997). Sediment, organic carbon and trace metal distributions in the mangrove environment at Veli, Kerala. In Proceedings of the 9th Kerala Science Congress, Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, Thiruvananthapuram, India, 85–87.
Bava, A. (1996). Geochemistry of interstitial waters and sediments of Vembanad estuary, Kerala, India, Ph. D. thesis, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, Kerala, India, 1–109.
Beck, H. J., & Birch, G. F. (2012). Metals, nutrients and total suspended solids discharged during different flow conditions in highly urbanised catchments. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 184, 637–653.
Bernard, G., Boudouresque, C. F., & Picon, P. (2007). Long term changes in Zostera meadows in the Berre Lagoon (Provence, Mediterranean Sea). Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 73, 617–629.
Bhatia, M. R., & Cook, K. A. W. (1986). Trace element characteristics of graywackes and tectonic setting discrimination of sedimentary basins. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 92, 181–193.
Boatman, N., Stoate, C., Gooch, R., Carvalho, C. R., Borralho, R., de Snoo, G., et al. (1999). The environmental impact of arable crop production in the European Union: practical options for improvement, Environmental Commission Directorate-General, Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection, UK, Belgium, Portugal, The Netherlands.
Bodek, I. B., Lyman, W. J., Reehl, W. F., & Rosenblatt, D. H. (1989). Environmental inorganic chemistry: properties, processes and estimation methods (pp. 1–1280). Pergamon: SETAC Special Publication Series.
Bodineau, L., Thoumelin, G., & Wartel, M. (1999). Fluxes and seasonal changes in composition of organic matter in the English Channel. Continental Shelf Research, 19, 2101–2119.
Burns, P. A., & Salomon, M. (1969). Phosphate absorption by kaolin in saline environments. Proceedings of the National Shellfisheries Association, 59, 121–125.
Casabianca, M. L., Laugier, T., & Collart, D. (1997). Impact of shellfish farming eutrophication on benthic macrophyte communities in the Thau Lagoon, France. Aquaculture International, 5, 301–314.
Charpentier, A., Grillas, P., Lescuyer, F., Coulet, E., & Auby, I. (2005). Spatio-temporal dynamics of a Zostera noltii dominated community over a period of fluctuating salinity in a shallow lagoon, Southern France. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 64, 307–315.
Cloern, J. E. (2001). Our evolving conceptual model of the coastal eutrophication problem. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 210, 223–253.
Countway, R. E., Canuel, E. A., & Dickhut, R. M. (2007). Sources of particulate organic matter in surface waters of the York River, VA estuary. Organic Geochemistry, 38, 365–379.
David, S., Valdes-Lozano, Chumacero, M., & Real, E. (2006). Sediment oxygen consumption in a developed coastal lagoon of Mexican Caribbean. Indian Journal of Marine Sciences, 35, 227–234.
Edmond, J. M., Spivack, A., & Grant, B. C. (1985). Chemical dynamics of the Changjiang estuary. Continental Shelf Research, 4, 17–36.
El Wakeel, S. K., & Riley, J. P. (1957). The determination of organic carbon in marine sediments. J du Conseil perm Int Pour L’ Exploration De La Mer, 22, 180–183.
Elliott, M., & de Jonge, V. N. (2002). The management of nutrients and potential eutrophication in estuaries and other restricted water bodies. Hydrobiologia, 475(476), 513–524.
Ergin, M., Saydam, C., Bastwrk, O., Erden, E., & Yoruk, R. (1991). Heavy metal concentration in surface sediments from the two coastal inlets (Golden Horn estuary and Izmit Bay) of the North eastern Sea of Marmara. Chemical Geology, 91, 269–285.
Fianko, J. R., Osae, S., Adomako, D., Adotey, D. K., & Serfor-Armah, Y. (2007). Assessment of heavy metal pollution of the Iture estuary in the central region of Ghana. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 131, 467–473.
Fralick, P. W., & Kronberg, B. I. (1997). Geochemical discrimination of clastic sedimentary rock sources. Sedimentary Geology, 113, 111–124.
Fukuda, H., Ogawa, H., Sohrin, R., Yamasaki, A., & Koike, I. (2007). Sources of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in Otsuchi Bay on the Sanriku ria coast of Japan in the spring. Coastal Marine Science, 31, 19–29.
Gomez, E., Millet, B., & Picote, B. (1998). Accumulation des sels nutritifis dans sediment lagunaire et environment hydrodynamique. Oceanologica Acta, 26, 805–817.
Hedge, V. S., Kanchanagouri, D., Gosavi, D., Hanamgond, P. T., Huenenunnavar, U. K., Shalini, G., et al. (2004). Depositional environment and silting in the Sharavati estuary, central west coast of India. Indian Journal of Marine Science, 33, 296–302.
Hodgkin, E. P., & Hamilton, B. H. (1993). Fertilizers and eutrophication in southwestern Australia: setting the scene. Fertiliser Research, 36, 95–103.
Howarth, R. W., Fruci, J. R., & Sherman, D. (1991). Inputs of sediment and carbon to an estuarine ecosystem: influence of land use. Ecological Applications, 1, 27–39.
Jayaraju, N., Reddy, B. C. S. R., & Reddy, K. R. (2011). Anthropogenic metal pollution in surface sediments of the Tambaraparni River estuary. Chemistry and Ecology, 27, 337–350.
Junk, W. J. (2002). Long-term environment trends and the future of tropical wetlands. Environmental Conservation, 29, 414–435.
Kemp, S. (1917). Notes on the fauna of Matlah river in the Gangetic delta. Records of the Indian Museum Calcutta, 13, 233–241.
Kim, L. H., Choi, E., & Stenstorm, M. K. (2003). Sediment characteristics, phosphorous types and phosphorous release rates between river and lake sediments. Chemosphere, 50, 53–61.
Kumar, J. I. N., George, B., Kumar, R. N., Sajish, P. R., & Viyol, S. (2009). Assessment of spatial and temporal fluctuations in water quality of a tropical permanent estuarine system—Tapi, west coast India. Applied Ecological Environmental Research, 3, 267–276.
Lewis, D. W. (1984). Practical sedimentology (pp. 1–227). Pennsylvania: Hutchinson Ross Publishing Company.
Lopez, P., & Lluch, X. (2000). Sediment geochemistry of a meromictic coastal lagoon, “Es Cibollar” (Majorca, Spain). Lirnnetica, 18, 15–27.
Lopez, P., Lluch, X., Vidal, M., & Morgui, J. A. (1996). Adsorption of phosphorous on sediment of the Balearic Island (Spain) related to their composition. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 42, 185–196.
Mackereth, F. J. J. (1966). Some chemical observations on post-glacial lake sediments. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 250, 167–213.
Maher, W. A., & de Vries, M. (1994). The release of phosphorus from oxygenated estuarine sediments. Chemical Geology, 112, 91–104.
Nair, M. N. M., & Ramachandran, K. K. (2002). Textural and trace elemental distribution in sediment of the Beypore estuary (SW coast of India) and adjoining innershelf. Indian Journal of Marine Science, 31, 295–304.
Nair, N. B., Azis, P. K. A., Dharmaraj, K., Arunachalam, M., Krishnakumar, K., & Balasubramanian, N. K. (1983). Ecology of Indian estuaries. Part I: physico-chemical features of water and sediment nutrient of Ashtamudy estuary. Indian Journal of Marine Science, 12, 143–150.
Nair, N. B., Azis, P. K. A., Arunachalam, M., Dharmaraj, K., & Krishnakumar, K. (1984). Ecology of Indian estuaries: ecology and distribution of benthic macrofauna in Ashtamudi estuary, Kerala. Mahasagar, 17, 89–101.
Nichols, M., & Allen, G. (1981). Sedimentary processes in coastal lagoons. [in:] Coastal lagoon research, present and future. In Proceedings of the UNESCO, IABO Seminar, Beaufort, NC, U.S.A., UNESCO Technical Papers in Marine Science, 33, 27–80.
Norman, B., Zweifell, U. L., Hopkinson, C. S., & Fray, B. (1995). Production and utilization of dissolved organic carbon during experimental diatom bloom. Limnological Oceanography, 40, 898–907.
Nurnberg, G. K. (1984). The prediction of internal phosphorus load in lakes with anoxic hypolimnia. Limnological Oceanography, 29, 111–124.
Okaichi, J. M. (1997). Red tides in the Seto Inland Sea. In T. Okaichi & T. Tanagi (Eds.), Sustainable development in the Seto Sea inland Japan: from the viewpoint of fisheries (pp. 251–304). Tokyo: Terra Scientific Publishing Company.
Padmalal, D., & Seralathan, P. (1995). Organic carbon and phosphorous loading in recently deposited riverine and estuarine sediments: a granulometric approach. Indian Journal of Earth Sciences, 22, 21–28.
Pedersen, O. B., Christiansen, C., & Laursen, M. B. (1995). Wind induced long term increase and short term fluctuation of shallow water suspended matter and nutrients concentration, Ringkobing Fjord, Denmark. Ophelia, 41, 273–287.
Pejrup, M. (1988). Flocculated suspended sediment in a micro-tidal environment. Sedimentary Geology, 57, 249–256.
Perl, J. A. (2010). Metal concentration in Manakudy estuarine sediments south west coast of India. International Journal of Biological Technology, 1, 47–51.
Pickard, M. D. (1971). Classification of fine grained sedimentary rocks. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, 41, 179–195.
Pilson, M. E. Q. (1985). Annual cycles of nutrients and chlorophyll in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. Journal of Marine Research, 43, 849–873.
Qu, W., Dickman, M., & Sumin, W. (2001). Multivariate analysis of heavy metal and nutrient concentrations in sediment of Taihu Lake, China, Hydrobiologia, 83–89.
Rankama, K., & Sahama, T. G. (1950). Geochemistry. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Richardson, A. M. (1997). Development of an estuarine water quality index (eWQI) for New South Wales, B. Sc. (Honours), University of Sydney, Sydney.
Ridgway, J., & Shimmield, G. (2002). Estuaries as repositories of historical contamination and their impact on shelf seas. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 55, 903–928.
Ruiz-Fernandez, A. C., Hillaire-Marcel, C., Ghaleb, B., Soto-Jimenez, M., & Paez-Osuna, F. (2002). Recent sedimentary history of anthropogenic impacts on the Culiacan River estuary, Northwestern Mexico: geochemical evidence from organic matter and nutrients. Environmental Pollution, 118, 365–377.
Saijo, Y., Mitamura, O., & Barbosa, F. A. R. (1997). Chemical studies on sediment of four lakes. In J. Z. Tundisi & Y. Saijo (Eds.), Limnological studies on the Rio Doce Valley lakes, Brazil (pp. 161–167). Sa Carlos: Academia Brasileria de Ciencias.
Sajan, K., & Damodaran, K. T. (1991). The sedimentary framework of the Ashtamudi estuary, Kerala, South West India. Zentralblatt für Geologie und Paläontologie, Teil I, H12, 2995–3007.
Sajan, K., Damodaran, K. T., & Flemming, W. B. (1992). The sedimentary frame work of the Ashtamudi estuary, Kerala, South West India. Zentralblatt für Geologie und Paläontologie, Teil I, H12, 2995–3007.
Sampei, Y., & Matsumoto, E. (2001). C/N ratios in a sediment core from Nakaumi Lagoon, southwest Japan—usefulness as an organic source indicator. Geochemical Journal, 35, 189–205.
Santhosh, S., Sobha, V., & Thara, J. C. (2006). Hydrobiological parameters of Paravur canal with special reference to various environmental problems. Indian Hydrobiology, 9, 213–219.
Santos, I. R., Baisch, P., Lima, G. T. N. P., & SilvaFilho, E. V. (2004). Nutrients in the surface sediment of Mirim Lagoon, Brazil–Uruguay border. Brazilian Association of Limnology, 16, 85–94.
Saxena, M. M. (1994). Environmental analysis of water, soil and air (pp. 1–232). India: Agro botanical Publishers.
Seralathan, P., Meenakshikutty, N. R., Asraf, K. V., & Padmalal, D. (1993). Sediment and organic carbon distribution in the Cochin harbour area. Indian Journal of Marine Science, 22, 252–255.
Shen, Z. L., Gu, T. X., & Xie, X. B. (1991). Output nutrients fluxes from the Changjiang River. Marine Science, 11, 67–71.
Shilla, D. J., Tsuchiya, M., & Shilla, D. A. (2011). Terrigenous nutrient and organic matter in a subtropical river estuary, Okinawa, Japan: origin, distribution and pattern across the estuarine salinity gradient. Chemistry and Ecology, 27, 523–542.
Sobha, V., & Miranda, P. I. (1987). Nature of plankton production in Kadinamkulam lake and Ashtamudi estuary of Kerala. In Proceedings of the National Seminar on Estuarine Management, Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, India, 307–317.
Sondergaard, M., Jensen, J. P., & Jeppesen, E. (2003). Role of sediment and internal loading of phosphorus in shallow lakes. Hydrobiologia, 506–509, 135–145.
Sorensen, T. H., Volund, G., Armah, A. K., Christiansen, C., Jensen, L. B., & Pedersen, J. T. (2003). Temporal and spatial variations of sediment nutrients and carbon in the Keta Lagoon, Ghana. West African Journal of Applied Ecology, 4, 91–105.
Stoddard, J. L., Jeffries, D. S., Lukewille, A., Clair, T. A., Dillon, P. J., Driscoll, C. T., et al. (1999). Regional trends in aquatic recovery from acidification in North America and Europe. Nature, 401, 575–578.
Tappin, A. D. (2002). An examination of the fluxes of nitrogen and phosphorus in temperate and tropical estuaries: current estimates and uncertainties. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 55, 885–901.
Trivedy, R. K., Goel, P. K., & Trisal, C. L. (1998). Practical methods in ecology and environmental science (pp. 1–340). Karad: Enviro Media Publications.
Vela, A., Pasqualini, V., Leoni, V., Djelouli, A., Langar, H., Pergent, G., et al. (2008). Use of SPOT 5 and IKONOS imagery for mapping biocenoses in a Tunisian Coastal Lagoon (Mediterranean Sea). Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 79, 591–598.
Wetzel, R. G. (2001). Limnology: lake and river ecosystems (pp. 1–1006). San Diego: Academic.
Wolfgang, R., Maria, L., San, D., Glone, M., & Gil, S. J. (2006). Organic pollution and its impact on the microbiology of coastal marine environments: a Philippine perspective. Asian Journal of Water Environment Pollution, 4, 1–9.
Zhang, J., Yan, J., & Zhang, Z. F. (1995). Chemical nationwide river chemistry trends in China: Huanghe and Changjiang. Ambio, 24, 275–279.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Head of the Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Kerala, for the facilities received. DP would like to thank the Director, Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS), for the encouragements and support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Baijulal, B., Sobha, V., Jyothi, S.J. et al. Depositional behaviour of C-org, N, P and K in the surface sediments of two shallow water bodies in a tropical coast, India. Environ Monit Assess 185, 7181–7193 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3092-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3092-8