Author(s): Sahadevan P

Abstract: Puthuvypeen is an upcoming major Industrial area in Kochi in the Indian state of Kerala. Given its close proximity to the Kochi city and to the international sea route Puthuvypeen has attracted many investment projects in the near past. Further, of late, Government of Kerala decided to set up a mega oceanarium project together with a Marine Biological Research Centre at Puthuvypeen with the objective of imparting awareness on the marine resources of the Arabian Sea. Though the development projects contribute to advancements in the social and economic fronts and overall growth of the region, they may also bring in adverse effects on the environmental quality, if adequate precautions are not taken to prevent them. A comprehensive database on the baseline environmental characteristics is a pre- requisite for an integrated assessment of environmental impacts, if any, with respect to pre-construction, construction and post-construction phases of the projects. The present study which forms part of a larger integrated study was meant to collect information on fin fishes and shell fishes of the area with a view to act as a baseline data for future studies on the impact of the projects on the aquatic environment. In the present study 57 species of fin fishes, 19 species of crustaceans and 11 species of molluscs were found to occur in the area.

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