Phytoplankton of Surat Metro Rail Phase I

Study Extent

Plankton samples will be collected from the main study area located between Sardar Bridge and Pandit Din Dayal Bridge, along the Tapi River. In addition, samples will also be collected from other aquatic areas in or adjacent to Surat where flocks of Lesser Flamingos have been sighted feeding. It has been reported in the literature that Lesser Flamingos primarily feed on plankton.

Sampling

The GEER Foundation's RS-GIS unit provided assistance in locating all the habitats and completing a detailed inventory of each one.

Method steps

1. A plankton net with a mesh size of 65 microns was used to filter 25 liters of estuarine water. The solid residue, which was not filtered out, was collected in 50 ml centrifuge bottles as a plankton sample. This unfiltered mass, along with around 50 ml of water, was collected and called a plankton sample. Later, the sample was supplemented with 1-2 ml of 4% formaldehyde for preservation. A sample of the estuarine water was collected from the Tapi River estuary area and was mixed with formaldehyde for preservation. The preserved sample was then sent to the Environment Research Monitoring Laboratory at the GEER Foundation in Gandhinagar for further analysis.

Phytoplankton

1. Lauderiaceae
   rank: family
2. Fragilariaceae
   rank: family
3. Closteriaceae
   rank: family
4. Naviculales
   rank: order
5. Chlorodendraceae
   rank: family
6. Actinosphaeriaceae
   rank: family
7. Chromista
   rank: kingdom
8. Selenastraceae
   rank: family
9. Stephanodiscaceae
   rank: family
10. Coscinodiscophyceae
    rank: class
11. Chromulinales
    rank: order
12. Chlorellales
    rank: order
13. Euglenophyta
    rank: phylum
14. Bacillariales
    rank: order
15. Oedogoniaceae
    rank: family
16. Plantae
    rank: kingdom
17. Naviculaceae
    rank: family
18. Desmidiales
    rank: order
19. Chlamydomonadales
    rank: order
20. Chrysophyceae
    rank: class
21. Raphidophyceae
    rank: class
22. Spirulinales
    rank: order
23. Thalassiosiraceae
    rank: family
24. Protozoa
    rank: kingdom
25. Chlorodendrales
    rank: order
26. Aulacoseiraceae
    rank: family
27. Coscinodiscales
    rank: order
28. Chlorophyceae
    rank: class
29. Aulacoseriales
    rank: order
30. Spirulinaceae
    rank: family
31. Catenulaceae
    rank: family
32. Fragilariales
    rank: order
33. Coscinodiscaceae
    rank: family
34. Cyanobacteriota
    rank: phylum
35. Oscillatoriales
    rank: order
36. Pleurosigmataceae
    rank: family
37. Charophyta
    rank: phylum
38. Thalassiosirales
    rank: order
39. Chlorodendrophyceae
    rank: class
40. Actinophryales
    rank: order
41. Thalassiophysales
    rank: order
42. Bachlllariophyceae
    rank: class
43. Trebouxiophyceae
    rank: class
44. Oscillatoriaceae
    rank: family
45. Euglenales
    rank: order
46. Zygnematophyceae
    rank: class
47. Rhopalodiales
    rank: order
48. Chlorellaceae
    rank: family
49. Euglenaceae
    rank: family
50. Chlorophyta
    rank: phylum
51. Stephanodiscales
    rank: order
52. Bacillariophyceae
    rank: class
53. Hydrodictyaceae
    rank: family
54. Amphipleuraceae
    rank: family
55. Scenedesmaceae
    rank: family
56. Oedogoniales
    rank: order
57. Heterokontophyta
    rank: phylum
58. Mediophyceae
    rank: class
59. Volvocaceae
    rank: family
60. Bacteria
    rank: kingdom
61. Dinobryaceae
    rank: family
62. Heterokontophyla
    rank: phylum
63. Euglenophyceae
    rank: class
64. Bacillariaceae
    rank: family
65. Sphaeropleales
    rank: order
66. Cyanophyceae
    rank: class
67. Rhopalodiaceae
    rank: family

Surat city is located in the southern part of Gujarat on the bank of the Tapi River. According to the biogeographical classification of India, Surat city falls in the 4B Semi-Arid zone of India.