Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India

Transparent exopolymer particle production by diatoms and its relation with CO2 flux in mangrove waters of Sundarban, West Bengal

Volume 65 Issue 1

Chumki Chowdhury

doi:10.6024/jmbai.2023.65.1.2225-13

Abstract

Diatoms play an important role in the process of the photosynthetic conversion of carbon dioxide to transparent exopolymer (TEP). This study revealed that the formation of TEP is encouraged during the maximum population of diatom with a greater relative abundance of Skeletonema cf costatum, Dytilum brightwellii, Chaetoceros sp. in the post-monsoon. The concentration of TEP ranged from 120.4 to 203.5 μg gum xanthan equivalent/l with the maximum level in the post-monsoon, while fugacity of CO2 (fCO2 , μ atm) was minimum (304.5 μ atm) and the study area acted as a sink for atmospheric CO2 (-5.25 μ M/m2 /h) in contrast to the pre-monsoon (364.0 μ atm; 13.3 μ M/m2 /h) and monsoon (432.5 μ atm; 10.6 μ M/m2 /h). Thus TEP production by diatom is related to the uptake of CO2 during available phosphorus-limited environments and may participate in other ecological processes.

Keywords

Diatom, transparent exopolymer particle, carbon dioxide, estuary, sundarban mangroves

Date : 30-04-2023