Some quantitative studies on the benthos off Bombay

Abstract

Distribution and abundance of benthic fauna in relation to environmental characteristics have been studied at twenty-two stations in May 1976 during the sixth cruise of R.V. Gaveshani. The study revealed that foraminifera and nematodes formed the dominant components of meiofauna at all depths, while polychaetes formed the bulk of macrobenthic biomass. The ratio of macro to meiofauna was 1:16,000 by number and 1:2 by wet weight. The ratio was numerically consistent at almost all stations inspite of variations in the ecological parameters. The sediment was largely muddy with varying proportions of silt and clay. It was rich in organic matter with an average value of 2.37%