Saltmarsh habitats play an important yet unexplored role in regulating coastal water chemistry in tropical deltaic environments. Based on field observations from 24 sampling stations in the Indian Sundarbans, this study documents spatial variability in total biomass of the saltmarsh grass Porteresia coarctata and corresponding pH of the ambient aquatic phase during 2nd to 17th December 2024. Biomass values ranged from 213.44 to 401.67 g dry wt. m⁻², with the lowest biomass recorded at exposed estuarine stations such as Sagar Island and Jambu Island, and the highest biomass observed at eastern Indian Sundarbans like Arbesi, Herobhanga, Panchmukhani, and Mayadwip. Ambient water pH varied between 7.97 and 8.32, showing consistently higher values at stations supporting dense P. coarctata stands. The table-derived dataset reveals a clear positive correlation between saltmarsh biomass and pH, suggesting enhanced alkalinity buffering in high-biomass marshes. Spatial interpolation using a Python-based Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) algorithm was applied to generate continuous biomass and pH surfaces, enabling visualization of buffering gradients across the deltaic landscape. The computational approach strengthens the spatial interpretation of marsh-driven carbonate regulation patterns. These results highlight the role of P. coarctata marshes as effective nature-based regulators of estuarine water chemistry, contributing to resilience under increasing climate variability and acidification stress.
Comments
No have any comment !