Sediment Oxygen Demand in Cochin backwaters, a tropical estuarine system in the south-west coast of India

Eutrophication has often been one of the major problems encountered in estuaries and coastal waters. The oxic/anoxic status of an estuary can be effectively determined by measurement of the Sediment Oxygen Demand (SOD). The present study forms a pioneering attempt to evaluate the SOD of the Cochin Backwater System (CBS), a tropical eutrophic estuary in the south-west coast of India. The CBS exhibited significant spatio-temporal variations in SOD. The mean net SOD during the dry season (2569.73 μmol O2 m−2 h−1) was almost twice that of the wet season (1431.28 μmol O2 m−2 h−1), presumably due to higher discharge during the latter season. The observed pockets of net oxygen release indicate that the CBS still retains certain autotrophic regions in spite of heavy organic drains. The low oxygen flux in light chambers points towards the role of microphytobenthos in maintaining the oxygen reservoir of the estuarine system.

► This is a pioneering attempt to evaluate the SOD of the CBS, a tropical estuary.
► Spatio-temporal variations in SOD due to physico-chemical/biological parameters.
► In spite of heavy organic drains, CBS still retains certain autotrophic regions.
► SOD in CBS is relatively low compared to other shallow water ecosystems.
► Microphytobenthos largely helps in maintaining the oxygen reservoir of CBS.