1 - Cochin University of Science and Technology

measurement of temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen and nutrients.
Temperature of water was measured in the field itself. For estimation of
dissolved oxygen, water was taken in 125 ml stoppered glass bottles taking
care that no air bubbles were trapped in the sample and fixed with Winkler
solutions. For salinity, pH and nutrients estimation, water samples were
collected in plastic bottles and taken to the laboratory and stored in an
insulated box till they were analysed. Interstitial water was taken with the
help of an air stone, connected to a plastic siphoning tube and a pipette
connected to the other end of the tube, by hand vacuum suction method
(Sarda and Burton, 1995). The stone was inserted in the sediment to the
desired depth and then only suction applied.
2. 4. 2. Sediment: Sediments for grain size analysis and organic carbon
estimation were taken at low tide from each station. Samples were taken
with a plexiglass corer of 5 cm diameter up to a depth of 10 cm (Holme
and Mc Intyre, 1984). Samples were tied in polythene bags and taken to
the laboratory for analysis.
2. 4. 3. Benthos: Triplicate samples were collected every month using a
metal quadrat of 25cm X 25cm size up to a depth of 15 cm (Ansari et aI.,
1984; Eleftheriou and Holme, 1984). Quadrat data was gathered at 10 m
intervals along 10 m distant transect lines (drawn perpendicular to the main
parallel shore line), which were selected by random sampling every month.
This method followed recommendations by Hiscock (1987), Hiscock and
Mitchell (1989) and Bakus (1990). All samples were collected during low
tide when maximum intertidal exposure prevailed and were sieved by a 0.5
mm metal sieve (Birkett and Mc Intyre, 1971; Holme and Mc Intyre, 1984)
in the nearby running water and the residue retained on the sieve was
collected in polythene bag and carried to the laboratory for further analysis.
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