Studies on organic production- I. Gulf of Mannar

Abstract

The transformation of inorganic matter into organic matter by photosynthesis to form plant material is the most important single factor governing the productivity of any region in the sea. It is well-known that the autotrophic plants of the sea especially the plankton algae found in the upper water masses of the oceans are the prime synthesisers of organic matter which directly or indirectly serve as food for all the other organisms in the sea. But the rate and extent of this primary production is the main criterion in deciding the relative yield of various waters. Hence in fisheries research the estimation of organic production of an area gives a better understanding of the conditions affecting the production of fish