PRELIMINARY-OBSERVATIONS ON THE RECOVERY OF TROPICAL PHYTOPLANKTON AFTER ENTRAINMENT

Chlorination is practised for preventing biofouling in the cooling wat er systems of Madras Atomic Power Station. Results of laboratory exper iments on phytoplankton recovery (as measured by absorbance and cell c ount) showed that the recovery time in process sea water effluents and condenser sea water effluents occurred after 3 and 5 days, relative t o the natural intake water. Results also showed increasing dominance o f a single phytoplankton species (Thalassiosira sp.) in the condenser as well as process water during the post recovery period. Significant differences in absorbance, gross primary productivity and total respir ation rate were observed between intake water versus condenser water a nd intake water versus process water. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. A ll rights reserved.