Studies on Seasonal Variabilities of Marine Diatom Communities, Bakkhali Coastal Sites, Bay of Bengal, India

By : Roni Saha , Subhas Giri , Amal Kumar Mondal

Page No: 446-454

Abstract
The present study describes the community structure and drivers of diatoms in the Bay of Bengal. Data were collected on phytoplankton and a range of environmental and hydrological variables from India’s estuarine and creek habitats during a calendar year from pre-monsoon to post-monsoon. This is the first study on diatom diversity in Bakkhali. A total of 19 diatoms genera are found in sampling sites. Different abiotic factors are the main drivers that change their number in different sessions of a calendar year. Micronutrient concentration is responsible (silicate, nitrate, and ortho-phosphate) as the most important driver of phytoplankton in all habitats. The Nitrate concentration ranges from 51.23 to 71.20 μM, while Ortho-phosphate concentrations varied from 4.09 to 6.39 μM, dissolved silicate ranges from 44.07 to 21.7 μM in both sampling stations. The hydrological parameters are also a driver that changes the diatom community. These findings suggest that phytoplankton play a crucial role in regulating phytoplankton community composition.

Authors
Roni Saha: Research Scholar, Department of Botany and Forestry, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal, India.
Subhas Giri: Research Scholar, Department of Microbiology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal, India.
Amal Kumar Mondal: Professor, Department of Botany and Forestry, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal, India.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/JPSR.2025.41.03.9