www.symbiosisonline.org Symbiosis www.symbiosisonlinepublishing.com ISSN Online: 2475-4706 Research Article International Journal of Marine Biology and Research Open Access Checklist of Marine Gastropods around Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS), West Coast of India Ambekar AA1*, Priti Kubal1, Sivaperumal P2 and Chandra Prakash1 1ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Panch Marg, Off Yari Road, Versova, Andheri West, Mumbai - 400061 2Center for Environmental Nuclear Research, Directorate of Research SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur-603 203 Received: July 30, 2018; Accepted: August 10, 2018; Published: September 04, 2018 *Corresponding author: Ambekar AA, Senior Research Fellow, ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Off Yari Road, Versova, Andheri West, Mumbai-400061, Maharashtra, India, E-mail: [email protected] The change in spatial scale often supposed to alter the Abstract The present study was carried out to assess the marine gastropods checklist around ecologically importance area of Tarapur atomic diversity pattern, in the sense that an increased in scale could power station intertidal area. In three tidal zone areas, quadrate provide more resources to species and that promote an increased sampling method was adopted and the intertidal marine gastropods arein diversity interlinks [9]. for Inthe case study of invertebratesof morphological the secondand ecological largest group on earth is Mollusc [7]. Intertidal molluscan communities parameters of water and sediments are also done. A total of 51 were collected and identified up to species level. Physico chemical convergence between geographically and temporally isolated family dominant it composed 20% followed by Neritidae (12%), intertidal gastropods species were identified; among them Muricidae communities [13]. The molluscs are soft bodied animals with Littorinidae (8%), Turbinidae (8%). Till now, a complete checklist of long evolutionary history and diversity [6,8]. Based on the habitat the molluscs are classified as terrestrial and aquatic community. the intertidal gastropods information along TAPS coastal area is not Molluscan community structure and their diversity indicate the available. Therefore, our present research work was carried out and present work is the prima facie result on base line information of overall ecosystem health [26]. To investigate the relationship taken available evidence of marine gastropods check-list data. The between biodiversity and ecosystem function the intertidal monitoring assessment programs. cause,ecosystem which is canvery be helpful. better Theassessed intertidal by studying organisms the areresponses under checklist of gastropods, which will helpful for further environmental continuous stress by environmental as well as anthropogenic Keywords: these organisms are many as they are numerous, accessible, Marine gastropods; Invertebrate; Checklist; TAPS; of these organisms. The advantages behind selection of Maharashtra; Introduction slow moving, easy to collect and suitable for experimental The planet earth is always been changing and the rate of manipulation [14]. Biodiversity essentially reflects ecological change can be examined by comparing time series data of faunaquality are of under the habitat threat. [37].Hence, In continuous current scenario monitoring with and increased record interference of manmade activities in coastal area, the flora and ecological units with present status of individual species or of marine gastropods around ecologically importance area of through diversity studies is an important. A baseline checklist communities. Individual species or communities also respond to climate change and try to fit in there optimal environmental Tarapur is not available till yet. Therefore, the present work conditions (Stork, 1997). In current scenario; overexploitation of gastropods checklist along with physcio-chemical parameters was done to achieve the baseline information about the marine pollutionmarine resources which is such the mainas fishing cause during of eutrophication, which many invertebrates coastal land and plant stock get removed, industrialization and chemical This study will be assisted any future reference study on marine around Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS), Tarapur site area. reclamation, invasion of exotic species, transport and tourism, plant. increased in temperature. These all factors contribute to change invertebrates diversity in relation to running of the atomic power global warming which alters many nutrients level in ocean, Materials and methods in marine ecosystem and biodiversity and these multiple stresses Description of study area affected the marine environment from intertidal area to deep sea. The selected locations are situated at West coast of Being a heterogeneous environment, intertidal rocky coastlines spatialprovide scale a multiple has been range a majorof habitats topic that of interest support among a great ecological variety of living forms [35]. The relationship between species diversity and rockyMaharashtra intertidal and and within selected 8.5 km on rangethe basis around of the Tarapur distance Nuclear from Power point Plant (TAPS). The intertidal locations were all are researchers [22,25,34,39,40]. Symbiosis Group *Corresponding author email: [email protected] Copyright: Checklist of Marine Gastropods around Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS), © 2018 Ambekar AA, et al. West Coast of India km from discharge points. Varor and Nandgaon are situated at the discharge of heated effluent from TAPS 1&2 and TAPS 3&4. Light house and Popharan were selected as were the discharge the distance of 8.5 km from TAPS 1&2 and TAPS 3&4 respectively, is released from TAPS 1&2 and TAPS 3&4 respectively. TAPS 1&2 were selected as reference locations table 1 and figure 1. andTable TAPS 1: 3&4 intake point are the nearest point i.e. within 1.5 SamplingDetailed locationGeographical location of study areaGPS position Importance of location N -190 Intertidal area near to intake channel (North side) E -720 TAPS 1 & 2 50.003’ 0 Light House N -19 39.139’ E -720 50’32.1” Intertidal area at the discharge channel of TAPS 1 & 2 (North side) 0 Varor N -19 39’21.6” E -720 54’32.4” Reference location, at the distance of 8.00 km from the discharge 0 N -1940’35.6” Intertidalchannel area near of TAPS to intake 1& 2 channel(North side) (South side) E -720 TAPS 3 & 4 49.533’ 0 N – 19 39.557’ E – 720 Popharan 50.638” Intertidal area at the discharge channel of TAPS 3 & 4 (South side) 0 Nandgaon N -19 40.651” E -720 45’09.0” Reference location, at the distance of 8.00 km from the discharge 41’19.2” channel of TAPS 3& 4 (South side) Figure 1: Study area Collection of samples analytical estimations. Sediment samples were collected from the same six locations, in clean polyethylene plastic bags with the help of plastic spatula. In laboratory the sediment were allowed monsoonThe present and post study monsoon. was conducted The sea water during samples 2013 and were 2014. collected Each location was surveyed extensively in each season, premonsoon, the unwanted debris and big stones and pieces of shells. to dry naturally in sunlight and then sieved properly to remove bottles were used. The bottles were rinsed two to three times in 500 ml sterile polyethylene bottles. For every collection new The each selected intertidal location was sub-divided into with sea water on the field, before collecting the sample sea water three tidal zone namely High water level (HWL), Mid Water bottlesin it. The were bottles kept were in ice filled box and up afterto the returning rim and sealedto laboratory, properly they to Level (MWL) and Low Water Level (LWL) so that maximum area broughtminimize to the normal gaseous room exchange temperature and to allowed prevent for any some leakage. time The for could get covered. The sampling was started at LWL followed by settling of suspended particle, before starting calorimetric and commonMWL and for then the HWL, collection to get of maximum molluscs timeis the period quadrate for extensivesampling survey. The numbers of sampling techniques are used; the most Citation: 2 of 8 Ambekar AA, Priti K, Chandra Prakash, Sivaperumal P, (2018) Checklist of Marine Gastropods around Tarapur Atomic Page Power Station (TAPS), West Coast of India. Int J Marine Biol Res 3(3): 1-8. Copyright: Checklist of Marine Gastropods around Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS), © 2018 Ambekar AA, et al. West Coast of India 25[10,11,16,18,23,24]. m). The gastropods At each in quadratewater level were four collected quadrate by of using1 m2 identified gastropod samples were preserved with 4% formalin scraperwere placed (Scissor at almost like tool) equal that distance skims the intervals animals, (Approximately since most of solution and labeled in plastic container at BRNS-Aquatic Radioecology Laboratory, ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Statistical analysis easy to collect them with this tool. The burrowing and organisms Education, Mumbai for future purpose. the gastropods are not firmly attached to substratum, it become A suit of statistical analysis was carried out by using statistical spade like material. The gastropods collected from four quadrates present in rock crevices were collected with the help of small buffer formaline prepared in sea water were added to containers software Origin (Version 8) and SPSS (Version 21) for spatial at each water level were kept in different plastic container. 5% variationResults among and Discussion the physicochemical