Maejo International Journal of Science and Technology (Jul 2009)
Coastal and estuarine resources of Bangladesh: management and conservation issues
Abstract
The coastal area of Bangladesh includes a number of bays into which different types of rivers empty, creating an estuarine ecosystem adjacent to the shore. The main estuarine systems are Brahmaputra-Megna (Gangetic delta), Karnaphuly, Matamuhuri, Bakkhali and Naf rivers, which are comprised of mangroves, salt marshes, seagrass, seaweeds, fisheries, coastal birds, animals, coral reefs, deltas, salt beds, minerals and sand dunes. The estuarine environment, which serves as feeding, breeding and nursery grounds for a variety of animals, varies according to the volume of discharge of the river and tidal range. It is highly productive in terms of nutrient input from different sources that promotes other living resources in the estuaries. Drought conditions exist during the winter months, i.e. November to February, and effective rainfall is confined to the monsoon period, i.e. May to June. Changes in salinity and turbidity depend on annual rainfall. The colour of most estuarine waters is tea brown or brown due to heavy outflows during the monsoon. The tidal mixing and riverine discharge governs the distribution of the hydrological parameters. The pH of these waters is reported to be slightly alkaline (>7.66) and dissolved oxygen (<6.0 mg/l) shows an inverse relationship to temperature. Studies of plankton have indicated two periods of maximum abundance, i.e. February-March and August-September. The abundance of fish and shrimp larvae varies in number and composition with season. Many marine and freshwater species are available in various types of coastal brackish water, which depend on monsoonal activities and local environmental conditions.
