Relationship between grain size distribution and intertidal faunal abundance in selected stations of Someshwara, Panambur and Bengre beaches

Abstract

The knowledge of sediment texture is important in the studies of distribution of living and non-living resources, identification of source of sediments, sediment patterns and nutrients. It is known that the macro-benthos in the aquatic environment are influenced by the texture of the sediment in which they establish themselves and live. Sediment quality guidelines are important tool for assessment of contamination in marine and estuarine sediments with biological significance of intertidal beaches. The grain size characteristics of sediments from aggrading and receding in beaches have been analyzed by several investigators, only very limited research has been done on the relationship between the intertidal faunal abundance, distribution and the sediment grain size distributions from eroding and accreting beaches of Mangaluru. Sediment variations mainly affect the species distribution, pattern of diversity, breeding, survival and other activities. The present study was carried out to determine the grain size distribution and species abundance in coastal Waters of Someshwara, Panambur and Bengre beaches along the Mangaluru, south west coast of India. The sampling of coastal water and sediment was carried out from August 2016 to July 2017 along the Mangaluru coast was studied. Spatial and temporal variations of the grain size distribution like granules, coarse sand, fine sand, and very fine sand textural components like sand, silt, clay and organic carbon percentages analyzed and correlated with intertidal species distribution, abundance in the selected stations.