Phytoplankton Blooms along the Indian Coasts-some highlights

The present article embodies a critical appraisal of the blooms observed at Karwar, Mangalore, Cochin, Vizhinjam, Tuticorin and Madras from 1982 to 1987. Noctiluca miliaris, Coscinodiscus sp. and Fragilaria oceanica are the three common species which appear in blooms regularly. There are some other phytoplankters also which bloom occasionally at restricted areas. These include species of Ceratium, Chaetoceros, Rhizosolenia, Biddulphia, Skeletonema, Thalassionema, Thalassiosira subtilis, Thalassiothrix and Trichodesmium