Author(s): Debasish Mahapatro
Email (s): debasish.marine@gmail.com
Institution or organization of origin: Berhampur University
Country: India
Abstract:
Impact of a tropical Cyclone “Tit li and Fani” on Spatial Distribution of Marine Community of Chilika lake 1Debasish Mahapatro and 2Rajani Kanta Mishra 1Berhampur University, Berhampur, -760007, Ganjam , Odisha 2National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Vasco Da Gama Government of India *Corresponding author Email: debasish.marine@gmail.com ABSTRACT During the year 2018 and 2019 two cyclone have stroked the coastal south Odisha with full of its magnitude namely “Tit li ” having the land fall area at Palasa region of northern Andhra Pradesh in 2018 and “Fani” during the month of May 2019 having a land fall at Chilika lake outer and Puri coast. Occurrence of many of the reef based organisms was recorded significantly after the successive filed sampling programs made within few days after the catastrophic events. Some of the live animals observed are those of sponges, gorgonids, crabs, lobsters, reef based fishes and shell fishes etc. Sudden emergence of jelly fish bloom was also noticed in the shallow coastal waters of the lake during the field visit. The higher diversity of marine biota in general and benthic organisms in particular to reef based community is a significant finding of the present study. Including this, massive dispersal of the young sapling of the dominant mangrove species Avicennia alba was noticed. The present study strongly advocates carrying out such research work in Chilika lake in long run Key words: Chilika lake, Outer channel, Cyclone “Tit li & Fani” , mangrove, marine organisms.