This paper deals with the studies and water characteristics of selected shrimp farming ponds located at Puthuvyppu and valappu villages of Vypeen in the vicinity of Cochin carried out during premonsoon period (March- May 2001).  Areawise distribution of sediment and water characteristics revealed that smaller medium sized ponds were relatively more fertile than the larger sized ponds. Overall mean values of nutrients in sediment and water indicated that ponds at Puthuvyppu village (with high tidal influence) were relatively more fertile than those ponds at Valappu. TSS and primary productivity values also showed the same trend. Highly significant positive correlation was observed between clay and silt, organic carbon and available potassium, nitrate-N in sediment and water, salinity and TSS and water pH and dissolved oxygen.