Abstract

ISOLATION IDENTIFICATION AND ROLE OF ALGAL BLOOMS AT MAHANADI RIVER ARANG (DIST- RAIPUR) (C.G.)

Rituraj Bhoi and Dr. Shweta Sao*

ABSTRACT

Blooms of Algae at Mahanadi River Arang were studied through observation from feb. 2017 to april 2017. Arang, a prosperous ancient town, is located on the west bank of the Mahanadi River, Raipur District in Chhattisgarh, at 21.2°N 81.97°E. It has an average elevation of 267 metres (876 ft). Algaal blooms, often composed of oceanic plants called phytoplankton, are potentially harmful to the marine life, water quality, human health and desalination plants, a chief source of potable Water. Algal blooms represent a natural phenomena caused by a mass proliferation of phytoplankton in water bodies. Many algal blooms are benign in their effects, especially in the ecosystem in which they reside; however some species of algae can have significant negative impacts on humans. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are algal blooms that produce toxic or otherwise harmful effects on humans or on fish, marine mammals and characteristics of the ecosystem that humans value. For example, the toxins produced by some HABs can cause shellfish contamination, fish kills and respiratory irritation or illness in humans. These negative biological impacts often generate negative economic consequences that are borne by the affected residents, tourists, governments and businesses. Regions that have endured a HAB event often experience economic impacts due to the environmental effects of HABs. Some of these impacts are direct, such as the cost of health care for affected humans, expenses associated with rescue efforts for marine mammals, the cost of collecting data and monitoring the development of blooms, expenses to remove dead fish from beaches, and lost revenue for the marine-related businesses (e.g., commercial fishing, seafood markets, water proximate restaurants, coastal lodging, and marine-based activity rental fees). Other impacts may be indirect and more difficult to quantify such as the value of lost recreational opportunities of visitors or lost wages to residents. In short, the socioeconomic costs of HABs can be wide and varied.

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