STUDY OF PHYSIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND IDENTIFICATION OF ZOOPLANKTON IN ESTUARY AND COASTAL AREA OF MELA VANJUR IN NAGAPATTINAM DISTRICT.

Assessment of estuary and marine water quality is essential to check the suitability of a water source for the designated use. Therefore, the present study focuses on preliminary aspects of Physio-chemical parameters and identification of Zooplankton in the estuary and coastal area from Mela Vanjur, Nagapattinam, District, Tamil Nadu, India for this period of January 2023. Physico-chemical parameters like Smell, Flavour, Odour, Colour, Total Dissolved Solids, Turbidity, Temperature, Electrical Conductivity, pH, Salinity, Total alkalinity, Total hardness, Nitrite, Nitrate, NH₃, Phosphate, Iron, Total Suspended Solids, COD, BOD, DO, were varied in both sample in the same month. The present study revealed that all the Physico-chemical parameters were more low, normal and high value, which may be due to the industrial effluents mixing up with the estuary. Suitable remedial measures should be taken to prevent the mixing of domestic sewage and discharge of effluent into the river to maintain the quality of the Vettar estuary. The present study revealed 15 genera of zooplankton from the estuary and marine water belonging to the four groups namely, 1. Cladocere: Daphnia sp. Ceriodaphnia sp, Alonella sp, Diaphanosoma sp, Moina sp, 2. Copepoda: Cyclops sp, Tropocyclops sp, Nauplius sp, Diaptomus sp, Heliodiaptomus sp, 3.Rotifera: Brachionus sp, Conochilus sp, Filinia sp, 4.Ostracoda: Cypris sp, Stenocypris sp. The present work provides substantial evidence that water quality analysis from Vettar estuary and marine water. From the study, it is evident that zooplankton may be a promising non-polluted depending on the ecological condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]