Systematics, Bionomics and Seed Production of Macrobrachium spp. of the Vembanad Lake

School of Industrial Fisheries, Cochin University of Science and Technology

Systematics, Fishery, Resource Characteristics and Bionomics of Deep Sea Prawns Off Kerala

School Of Industrial Fisheries, Cochin University of Science and Technology

Development of microbial treatment of ret liquor generated in a coir retting bioreactor

School of Environmental Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology

lncidence of enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus in relation to the microbial safety of seafood

A detailed study was made on the microbial quality, with special reference to food safety, of the fish and fishery products in the retail trade in Cochin and around. Also, farmed molluscan shellfishes like mussels and oysters were investigated for the microbial quality including the presence of pathogenic bacteria. Special stress has been given to monitor the incidence of coagulase positive as well as coagulase negative Staphylococcus in these products and their relative incidence have been recorded.In the next part, the investigation was centered mainly on toxigenic S.aureus. This is because among the Gram positive toxigenic bacteria, the Saureus with potential to produce thermostable enterotoxins are more relavent in food safety conceming seafoods in comparison with the Gram-negative pathogens like Salmonella and V.cholerae.The incidence, toxigenic potential and conditions of toxin production by S.aureus have been investigated in detail. An attempt has also been made to relate the toxigenisis with the presence of the concerned toxigenic genes in the genomes of S. aureus strains.

Bioremediation of petroleum sludge through Phytoremediation.Land farming and Microbial enhanced oil separation

The objective of this research is to study the feasibility of bioremediating the oily sludge from a refinery site. Three different methods of waste treatment were tried i.e. phytoremediation, land farming and microbial enhanced oil separation in laboratory scale treatment systems. A multiprocess approach by combination of phytoremediation, biostimulation and microbial enhanced oil separation is also presented. The methods of analysis, experimental procedure, and results are incorporated into five chapters of this thesis entitled "Bioremediation of petroleum sludge through phytoremediation, land farming and microbial enhanced oil separation.

Haematology of Fenneropenaeus indicus in response to environmental alterations and microbial infections

Aquaculture has developed to become one of the fastest growing food producing sectors in the world.Today India is one among the major shrimp producing countries in the world.There are extensive and intensive shrimp culture practices. In extensive shrimp culture, shrimps are stocked at low densities (< 25 PLs m'2)in large ponds or tidal enclosures in which little or no management is exercised or possible. Farmers depend almost entirely on natural conditions in extensive cultures. Intensive shrimp culture is carried out in high densities (>200 PLs m'2). Much of the world shrimp production still comes from extensive culture.There is a growing demand for fish and marine products for human and animal consumption. This demand has led to rapid growth of aquaculture, which some times has been accompanied by ecological impacts and economic loss due to diseases. The expansion of shrimp culture always accompanies local environmental degradation and occurrence of diseases.Disease out breaks is recognised as a significant constraint to aquaculture production. Environmental factors, water quality, pollution due to effluent discharge and pathogenic invasion due to vertical and horizontal transmission are the main causes of shrimp disease out breaks. Nutritional imbalance, toxicant and other pollutants also account for the onset of diseases. pathogens include viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites.Viruses are the most economically significant pathogens of the cultured shrimps world wide. Disease control in shrimp aquaculture should focus first on preventive measures for eliminating disease promoting factors.ln order to design prophylactic and proactive measures against shrimp diseases, it is mandatory to understand the immune make up of the cultivable species, its optimum culture conditions and the physico chemical parameters of the rearing environment. It has been proven beyond doubt that disease is an end result of complex interaction of environment, pathogen and the host animal. The aquatic environment is abounded with infectious microbes.The transmission of disease in this environment is extremely easy, especially under dense, culture conditions. Therefore, a better understanding of the immune responses of the cultured animal in relation to its environmental alterations and microbial invasions is essential indevising strategic measures against aquaculture loss due to diseases. This study accentuate the importance of proper and regular health monitoring in shrimps employing the most appropriate haematological biomarkers for application of suitable prophylactic measures in order to avoid serious health hazards in shrimp culture systems.

Studies on taxonomy and ecology of Mysidacea from the EEZ of India

Members of the order Mysidacea are important component in marine and estuarine plankton inhabiting all regions of the oceans. There are many brackish water species and few species occur in fresh water, some have become adapted to the specialized environments of caves and wells. They are omnivores, responsible for remineralisation of a substantial portion of the detritus in the water column. They form an important link in the food chain (between microbial producers and secondary consumers) and therefore play a major role in the cycling of energy within the aquatic ecosystem. In tropical and subtropical waters, swarms of mysids are exploited commercially and marketed as preserved cooked food. Mysids have been used in fish farming as live feed resource. They are also excellent experimental organism, extremely useful in the studies of potential impact of various pollutants in the aquatic environment. Mysids are also used in wood pulp effluent plants.Considering the significant role of mysids in the productivity of tropical and coastal ecosystems,the present study has been undertaken to extend our knowledge on the systematics, species composition, distribution,abundance and ecology of mysid fauna of the Indian EEZ and adjoining areas. The present study therefore will undoubtedly fumish valuable information on Mysidacea of the Indian waters.