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61-723: Pulicat Lake is the second largest brackish water lagoon in India , (after Chilika Lake ), measuring 759 square kilometres (293 sq mi). A major part of the lagoon lies in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh . The lagoon is one of three important wetlands that attracts northeast monsoon rain clouds during the October to December season. The lagoon comprises the following regions: Pulicat Lake (Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu), Marshy/Wetland Land Region (AP), Venadu Reserve Forest (AP), and Pernadu Reserve Forest (AP). The lagoon

122-728: A church, a cemetery with tombs and mausoleums constructed by the Dutch are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The Dutch transacted business with the British East India Company and other countries in the region. A scientific study of the palynological characteristics of the lagoon was conducted by taking sedimentary soil samples from four test pits. It shows that the vegetational reconstruction from peat beds at 4.98 metres (16.3 ft) a.m.s.l. and 1 metre (3.3 ft) (a.m.s.l.) in

183-629: A natural defense against hurricane and tsunami damage in particular. The Sundarbans and Bhitarkanika Mangroves are two of the large mangrove forests in the world, both on the coast of the Bay of Bengal . Some seas and lakes are brackish. The Baltic Sea is a brackish sea adjoining the North Sea . Originally the Eridanos river system prior to the Pleistocene , since then it has been flooded by

244-403: A radius of5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the mouth of the lagoon with a salinity well maintained without much drying even during low tides. However, this traditional practice is based on caste control of the access rights to the high productive areas and is opposed by eastern fishermen and ocean-side villages. As a result, conflicts leading to violence have been reported. The Tamil Nadu part of

305-476: A range of salinity regimes and is not considered a precisely defined condition. It is characteristic of many brackish surface waters that their salinity can vary considerably over space or time. Water with a salt concentration greater than 30‰ is considered saline . See the salinity table from the Misplaced Pages salinity article . Brackish water condition commonly occurs when fresh water meets seawater. In fact,

366-535: A species only found in deep water in the Baltic, while pike are confined to the less saline surface waters. The Caspian Sea is the world's largest lake and contains brackish water with a salinity about one-third that of normal seawater. The Caspian is famous for its peculiar animal fauna, including one of the few non-marine seals (the Caspian seal ) and the great sturgeons , a major source of caviar . Hudson Bay

427-444: Is 17 kilometres (11 mi) from Sriharikota . The Buckingham Canal on the western side of the lagoon is the navigation route through the lagoon used by cargo and passenger vessels. Brackish water Technically, brackish water contains between 0.5 and 30 grams of salt per litre—more often expressed as 0.5 to 30 parts per thousand (‰), which is a specific gravity of between 1.0004 and 1.0226. Thus, brackish covers

488-555: Is a brackish marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean , it remains brackish due its limited connections to the open ocean, very high levels freshwater surface runoff input from the large Hudson Bay drainage basin , and low rate of evaporation due to being completely covered in ice for over half the year. In the Black Sea the surface water is brackish with an average salinity of about 17–18 parts per thousand compared to 30 to 40 for

549-488: Is about 60 kilometres (37 mi) north of Chennai and 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from Elavur, on the southern periphery of the Pulicat Lake . Pulicat lake is a shallow salt water lagoon which stretches about 60 kilometres (37 mi) along the coast. With lakeside and seashore development as well as several Special Economic Zones (SEZs) including a US$ 1 billion Medical SEZ, coming up in nearby Elavur, land prices in

610-499: Is about 60 kilometres (37 mi) with width varying from 0.2 kilometres (0.12 mi) to 17.5 kilometres (10.9 mi). Climate of the lagoon coast line is dominated by tropical monsoons . Air temperature varies from 15 °C (59 °F) to 45 °C (113 °F). The large spindle-shaped barrier island named Sriharikota separates the lagoon from the Bay of Bengal. The sandy barrier islands of Irkam and Venad and smaller islands in

671-470: Is also reported to have serious impact on aquaculture development. Siltation and periodic closure of the bar mouth due to the dynamic process of sediment transport has caused reduction of size and seasonal closure of the mouth of the lagoon. It has reduced fresh sea-water exchange and made the lagoon shallow and turbid. It is reported that average depth, 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in the early 20th century, has been reduced to less than 1 metre (3.3 ft) in

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732-536: Is celebrated on World Wetland Day (2 February) at Pulicat by AARDE Foundation. Famous traditional catamaran competition and several competitions are held on this day. Small information center (Pulicat Museum) at Pazhaverkadu gives detailed information on Pulicat ecology and built heritage. Fort Geldria or Fort Geldaria, located in Pulicat, was the seat of the Dutch Republic 's first settlement in India , and

793-464: Is classified into three zones. The southern zone, the first zone, is dominated by sand with some admixture of mud. The second zone at the northern region is wholly muddy. The third zone with sand and mud in equal parts is overgrown with patches of weeds and is reported to be rich in benthic biodiversity. Toxicity levels of heavy metals such as magnesium, lead, zinc, nickel, cadmium, aluminum and copper and chemicals such as ammonia, sulphate and fluoride in

854-565: Is commonly used as cooling water for power generation and in a variety of ways in the mining, oil, and gas industries. Once desalinated it can also be used for agriculture, livestock, and municipal uses. Brackish water can be treated using reverse osmosis , electrodialysis , and other filtration processes. Pulicat Pulicat or Pazhaverkadu is a historic seashore town in Chennai Metropolitan Area at Thiruvallur District , of Tamil Nadu state , India . It

915-422: Is very low and the fish fauna consists predominantly of freshwater species such as roach , dace , carp , perch , and pike . The Thames Estuary becomes brackish between Battersea and Gravesend , and the diversity of freshwater fish species present is smaller, primarily roach and dace; euryhaline marine species such as flounder , European seabass , mullet , and smelt become much more common. Further east,

976-406: The crab-eating frog , Fejervarya cancrivora (formerly Rana cancrivora ). Mangroves represent important nesting sites for numerous birds groups such as herons, storks, spoonbills, ibises, kingfishers, shorebirds and seabirds. Although often plagued with mosquitoes and other insects that make them unpleasant for humans, mangrove swamps are very important buffer zones between land and sea, and are

1037-499: The Andhra Pradesh part of the lagoon, several threats to the lagoon have been identified. These are: pollution from sewage, pesticides, agricultural chemicals and industrial effluents from Arani and Kalangi rivers draining into the lagoon bringing fertilizers and pesticides with the runoff from the agricultural field into the drainage basin; domestic sewage; effluents and wastes from numerous fish-processing units; oil spills from

1098-549: The Andhra Pradesh part of the sanctuary, around the islands of Vendadu and Irukkam. There are 59 species of aquatic vegetation, eight of Cyanophyceae , seven Chlorophyceae and two Rhodophyceae . Patches of residual, dry, evergreen forest and large areas of littoral scrub in woodlands in fishing villages bordering the lagoon are seen. Invasive phytoplankton species of Prosopis juliflora , Spirulina major , Oscillatoria spp., Anabaena spp., Rhizosolenia castracanei , Eucampia cornuta and Climacodium frauenfeldianum in

1159-501: The Erythraean Sea listed Podouke (Pulicat) as one of the three ports on the east coast of India. In the 2nd century, Ptolemy 's list of ports on this coast included Podouke Emporion. In the 13th century, Arabs migrated to the shores of the lagoon after they were banished from Mecca for refusing to pay tributes to a new caliph . Streets with dilapidated masonry houses once occupied by these Arab Muslims are still found in

1220-484: The North Sea but still receives so much freshwater from the adjacent lands that the water is brackish. As seawater is denser, the water in the Baltic is stratified, with seawater at the bottom and freshwater at the top. Limited mixing occurs because of the lack of tides and storms, with the result that the fish fauna at the surface is freshwater in composition while that lower down is more marine. Cod are an example of

1281-565: The Pulicat lagoon Sanctuary" has envisaged to set up a hydro biological research station, visitor center, provide shallow-bottomed boats to enable sanctuary staff to patrol the lagoon and to prepare a management plan and conservation strategy for the entire area. COPDANET is striving to implement traditional "Paadu system" and regular desilting to ensure adequate salt and fresh water mix in the lagoon which could enhance fish resources. Centre for Research on New International Economic Order (CReNIEO) has been promoting welfare of fishermen and management of

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1342-512: The area and resident families claim records in Arabic testifying the migration. The Portuguese colonized the lagoon in 16th century followed by the Dutch . The Dutch drifted to the lagoon as their ships got stuck on the shores of Karimanal village on the opposite side of the mouth of the lagoon. During the Dutch occupation, Pulicat was known by the name Pallaicatta . Fort Geldria dating to 1609,

1403-653: The area are rising. The Portuguese established a trading post in Pulicat in 1502 with the help of the Vijayanagar rulers . They built a fort there and held this fort until 1609 when they were defeated by the Dutch. The Dutch occupied Pulicat fort in 1609. Between 1621 and 1665, 131 slave ships were deployed by the Dutch to export 38,441 Indians captured on the Coromandel coast and transported from Pulicat to be sold as slaves to Dutch plantations in Batavia . Pulicat

1464-458: The area. The AARDE Foundation maintains Pulicat Museum at Pazhaverkadu to create awareness among inhabitants and city dwellers. AARDE Foundation represented Pulicat at United Nation's World Urban Forum and Habitat III as an associate-partner. Pulicat Day, part of Ramsar 's World Wetlands Day , is celebrated every February by AARDE to bring attention to this fragile environment. An expert plan on "Wildlife Action Plan for Conservation Measures on

1525-696: The capital of Dutch Coromandel . It was built by the Dutch East India Company in 1613 and became the local governmental centre in 1616. It was named for Geldria , the native province of Wemmer van Berchem, the General Director of the company. Regularly protected by a garrison of 80 to 90 men, Fort Geldria was the only fortification in the Indian empire; all other positions of the Dutch Company were trading posts. Pulicat

1586-424: The coastal community. Evidence of these changes were inevitable, bird migrations has decreased rapidly due to lack of maintenance of the lake beds. It affects the almost 160 km of the lake. Almost 40% of the lake was dried up by 2020. Recent trends and data show that Pullicat Lake is in the verge of destruction due to the lack of dredging activities. If same trends continuous it would be like another Aral Sea. In

1647-473: The floods. Runoff from agricultural fields in the drainage basins of the Arani and Kalangi rivers into the lagoon has increased pollution load from fertilizers and pesticides; pollution from domestic sewage is also being released to the lagoon. A petrochemical complex, power plant and a satellite port on Ennore creek have further aggravated the problem; there is threat of flooding of 14 island – villages of

1708-512: The islands. The lagoon has rich fish diversity, mostly marine species, some truly brackish water and a few freshwater species. Mullets and catfish are the major brackish water fish, which have supported sustenance fishing for the lagoon fishermen. The lagoon is a nursery for several species of fish. Two thirds of the settlements in the lagoon area are in Tamil Nadu and the balance in Andhra Pradesh. 12,370 fishermen live on full-time fishery in

1769-747: The lagoon (6,000 in Andhra Pradesh and 6,370 in Tamil Nadu). An average 1,200 tonnes of fish and crustaceans are harvested annually, of which prawns constitute 60%, followed by mullets. Seafood exports of white and tiger prawns, jellyfish, finfish and live lagoon green crabs are also economic benefits from the lagoon. 168 total fish species are reported. The frequently found ones are the mullets : M. cunnesius , M. jerdoni , M. dussumieri , M. cephalus , M. bornensis and blowfish T. nigropunctatus , T. leopardus , Barbus dorsalis , catfish Macrones vittatus , sardines , Sardinella fimbriata and milk fish . Finfish , green crabs, clams and prawns are

1830-470: The lagoon (above or below the sea level) is affecting flora, fauna and fisheries; siltation has caused variation of the lagoon mouth resulting in reduction of tidal inflows and consequent decline in stocking of commercially important species of prawns and mullets. The flood plains reclamation in Arani River basin for industrial and residential purposes is also increasing lagoon maximum water level during

1891-1212: The lagoon along with pelicans , kingfishers , herons , painted storks , spoonbills and ducks . The highest concentrations of flamingo are found in the periphery of the lagoon where the water level is below 40 centimetres (16 in). The concentrations of flamingos are also associated with high algal, fish and benthic diversity. Other water birds in the area include spot-billed pelican , seven species of herons and egrets , painted stork , greater flamingos , ducks , 20 species of shorebirds , gulls , terns , little grebe , Indian cormorant , little cormorant , Asian openbill stork , black-headed ibis , Eurasian spoonbill , lesser whistling teal , Indian spot-billed duck , great thick-knee and stone curlew . Several species of wintering waterfowl have been noted including bar-headed goose , ruddy shelduck , Eurasian wigeon , common teal , northern pintail , garganey , northern shoveller , common pochard , brown-headed gull , black-headed gull , whiskered tern , gull-billed tern and Caspian tern . Birds of prey which appear in winter are the: white-bellied sea eagle , harriers and peregrine falcons . The largest concentrations of flamingos occur in

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1952-412: The lagoon are well within permissible limits. Recently, the lagoon likely experienced up to 40% desalination due to the impact of freshwater floods from the 2015 South India floods. The lagoon has rich flora and fauna diversity, which supports active commercial fisheries and a large and varied bird population. Fishing is the major occupation in the many villages located around the lagoon periphery and on

2013-413: The lagoon area including its water outlet to the sea is located in Andhra Pradesh. The water quality of the lagoon varies widely during various seasons – summer, pre–monsoon, monsoon and post–monsoon – as the depth and width of the lagoon mouth varies, causing a dynamic situation of mixing and circulation of waters. The resultant salinity variation and DO ( dissolved oxygen ) affects

2074-524: The lagoon has been constructed providing a safe escape route for people residing on the islands and also access for emergency response operations. The southern part of the lagoon in Tamil Nadu 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the estuary is rich in fishes and the fishing is controlled by a traditional Paadu system . Paadu is a traditional system of getting entitlements to eligible members of a particular community for undertaking specified fishing activity in certain designated areas. The fishing grounds fall within

2135-543: The lagoon is 60 kilometres (37 mi) north of Chennai and the nearest airport and major railway station are in Chennai. The nearest suburban railway station is at Ponneri . To reach Pulicat on the National Highway 16 from Chennai , drive north toward Nellore , after 30 kilometres (19 mi), turn right towards Ponneri village and continue 18 km (11.2 mi) to Pulicat village. Sullurpeta station

2196-445: The lagoon. This has caused difficulties such as the bar mouth getting silted up and being closed during the summer season (June–July to Oct–Nov), and an increase in flood levels during the rainy season. The lagoon acts as a large evaporating basin when the bar is closed resulting in salinity levels remaining low or high subject to the flood discharge into the lagoon during the north east monsoon. Fluctuation of water levels in

2257-476: The lagoon; subsequent to the tsunami in 2004, the number of fishing boats have increased resulting in the "Catch Per Unit Effort" of fish, prawns and crabs declined from 1000 tonnes to about 700 tonnes; and this has increased the social and fishing rights conflicts between marine based fishermen and the lagoon fishermen. Due to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake , lagoon fishery was adversely affected, with many fishing communities losing all means of livelihood until

2318-488: The mechanized boats. Release of 4,780 hectares (11,800 acres) of marine chemicals, and salt-manufacturing industry and shrimp farming in more than 1,000 acres (400 ha) on the eastern part of the lagoon, have affected the Pulicat Bird Sanctuary; the livelihood of 30,000 fishermen and 20,000 agricultural labourers (for whom fishing is an off-season economic activity) have also been disturbed. This activity

2379-422: The middle of April 2005, as the loss of lives, homes and boats prevented them from going fishing in the sea and the lagoon. They subsisted on relief supplies provided by the government and other agencies. Many people in fish related trades were also affected. However, a beneficial effect of the tsunami has been the widening of the opening to the lagoon. Various groups and non governmental organizations are active in

2440-417: The most commercially exploited fishes of the lagoon. Endangered green sea turtles are found on the beaches of Sriharikota beach. Salt is also produced from the lagoon. The shallow lagoon is known for its diversity of aquatic birds and is an important stopover on migration routes and is reported to be the third most important wetland on the eastern coast of India for migratory shorebirds, particularly during

2501-467: The most extensive brackish water habitats worldwide are estuaries , where a river meets the sea. The River Thames flowing through London is a classic river estuary. The town of Teddington a few miles west of London marks the boundary between the tidal and non-tidal parts of the Thames, although it is still considered a freshwater river about as far east as Battersea insofar as the average salinity

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2562-501: The natural resources of the lagoon. A research study by Loyola College, Chennai reported in 2007 that the lagoon that bore the brunt of industrial pollution has made an ecological turnaround, recording toxicity levels well within permissible limits. Under the Tsunami Emergency Assistance Project (TEAP), construction of a high level bridge across Pulicat lagoon along with approach roads on both sides of

2623-413: The north are aligned north–south and divide the lagoon into eastern and western sectors. The morphology of the lagoons is categorized under four types with large areas under mudflats and sandflats. The fishing village of Pulicat is at the south end of the lake. The Satish Dhawan Space Center is located on the north end of the island. Pulicat , Dugarājupatnam and Sullurpeta are villages located on

2684-549: The oceans. The deep, anoxic water of the Black Sea originates from warm, salty water of the Mediterranean . Lake Texoma , a reservoir on the border between the U.S. states of Texas and Oklahoma , is a rare example of a brackish lake that is neither part of an endorheic basin nor a direct arm of the ocean, though its salinity is considerably lower than that of the other bodies of water mentioned here. The reservoir

2745-423: The opposite bank of the lake. The cemetery dating to 1622 has been taken under the wing of the Archaeological Survey of India and so has survived the passage of time. The grand, Dutch-inscribed tombs and graves, carved with skeletons rather than the cross, have been quite well preserved. The cemetery lies behind the market. Aadhi Narayana Perumal temple is an old temple located at Pazhaverkadu. Pulicat-Day

2806-431: The pens the farmed fish are kept in. Another important brackish water habitat is the mangrove swamp or mangal . Many, though not all, mangrove swamps fringe estuaries and lagoons where the salinity changes with each tide. Among the most specialised residents of mangrove forests are mudskippers , fish that forage for food on land, and archer fish , perch-like fish that "spit" at insects and other small animals living in

2867-627: The periphery of the lagoon. Two rivers which feed the lagoon are the Arani River at the southern tip and the Kalangi River from the northwest, in addition to some smaller streams. The Buckingham Canal , a navigation channel, is part of the lagoon on its western side. The lagoon's water exchange with the Bay of Bengal is through an inlet channel at the north end of Sriharikota and out flow channel of about 200 metres (660 ft) width at its southern end, both of which carry flows only during

2928-463: The plains on the periphery of the lake have been recorded. Due to climate change and delay in the northeast monsoons quite often, lack of dredging activities in the estuaries region like Duggarajapatanam, Mulapadava and Tupilipalem. Diversity of the lake looks like the semi salt desert of what was the Aral Sea . It directly impacts wildlife conversation in those area and livelihoods of the people of

2989-410: The primary production, plankton, biodiversity and fisheries in this lagoon. Salinity values vary from zero during the monsoon to about 52,000 ppm (hyper saline) during post and pre–monsoon seasons. Adjustment to this wide variation is difficult for sessile and sedentary species in the lagoon. However, euryhaline species still dwell in the lagoon. The benthic or the bottom habitat of this lagoon

3050-464: The rainy season. The lagoon acts as buffer to retain the accumulated flood water till the flood water is discharged gradually to the sea during the monsoon period and cyclones. The lagoon and its river basins are located both in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states. The lagoon and its drainage river basins become interstate river basin as per Interstate River Water Disputes Act 1956. Most of

3111-513: The regressive phase. The lagoon's boundary limits range between 13.33° to 13.66° N and 80.23° to 80.25°E, with a dried part of the lagoon extending up to 14.0°N.; with about 96% of the lagoon in Andhra Pradesh and 3% in Tamil Nadu. The lagoon is aligned parallel to the coast line with its western and eastern parts covered with sand ridges. Area of the lagoon varies with the tide; 450 square kilometres (170 sq mi) in high tide and 250 square kilometres (97 sq mi) in low tide. Its length

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3172-500: The river. This type of ecological succession from freshwater to marine ecosystem is typical of river estuaries. River estuaries form important staging points during the migration of anadromous and catadromous fish species, such as salmon , shad and eels , giving them time to form social groups and to adjust to the changes in salinity. Salmon are anadromous, meaning they live in the sea but ascend rivers to spawn; eels are catadromous, living in rivers and streams, but returning to

3233-412: The salinity increases and the freshwater fish species are completely replaced by euryhaline marine ones, until the river reaches Gravesend, at which point conditions become fully marine and the fish fauna resembles that of the adjacent North Sea and includes both euryhaline and stenohaline marine species. A similar pattern of replacement can be observed with the aquatic plants and invertebrates living in

3294-727: The sea to breed. Besides the species that migrate through estuaries, there are many other fish that use them as "nursery grounds" for spawning or as places young fish can feed and grow before moving elsewhere. Herring and plaice are two commercially important species that use the Thames Estuary for this purpose. Estuaries are also commonly used as fishing grounds and as places for fish farming or ranching. For example, Atlantic salmon farms are often located in estuaries, although this has caused controversy, because in doing so, fish farmers expose migrating wild fish to large numbers of external parasites such as sea lice that escape from

3355-567: The spring and autumn migration seasons. In view of the rich avifauna of the lagoon, two bird sanctuaries are established in the lagoon, one each in the Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states. The Andhra Pradesh portion of Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary , established in September 1976, has an area of 172 square kilometres (66 sq mi) within the lagoon's total area in the state in the Tada Taluk of Nellore district . The Wildlife Division of

3416-491: The state has listed 115 species of water and land birds in the sanctuary. Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary is also located nearby in its catchment area. The Tamil Nadu part of the lagoon of 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi) area, extending over the Ponneri and Gummidipundi taluks of Thiruvallur district , was declared a bird sanctuary in October 1980. Every year approximately 15,000 greater flamingos are reported to visit

3477-420: The trees, knocking them into the water where they can be eaten. Like estuaries, mangrove swamps are extremely important breeding grounds for many fish, with species such as snappers , halfbeaks , and tarpon spawning or maturing among them. Besides fish, numerous other animals use mangroves, including such species as the saltwater crocodile , American crocodile , proboscis monkey , diamondback terrapin , and

3538-458: The west at Sullurpeta and Kasdredinilem, respectively, is indicative of a palaeoshoreline . The sea level reached its maximum around 6650 plus or minus 110 yrs BP in Sullurpeta, 18 kilometres (11 mi) west from the present shoreline. The radiocarbon dates of peat bed at Kasdreddinilem reveals an age of 4608 plus or minus 122 yrs BP, indicating the shift in mangrove line eastwards during

3599-519: Was created by the damming of the Red River of the South , which (along with several of its tributaries) receives large amounts of salt from natural seepage from buried deposits in the upstream region. The salinity is high enough that striped bass , a fish normally found only in salt water, has self-sustaining populations in the lake. Brackish water is being used by humans in many different sectors. It

3660-658: Was cut across in the middle by the Sriharikota Link Road, which divided the water body into lagoon and marshy land. The lagoon encompasses the Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary . The barrier island of Sriharikota separates the lagoon from the Bay of Bengal and is home to the Indian Space Research Organisation 's Satish Dhawan Space Centre . In the 1st century, the anonymous mariner who wrote Periplus of

3721-542: Was till 1690 the capital of Dutch Coromandel . It repeatedly changed possession, until finally occupied by the British in 1825. It became part of the Madras Presidency , which later became Madras state in independent India and renamed Tamil Nadu in 1968. The Dutch church has been built over several times and is rather dilapidated today, and the Dutch fort has fallen into ruin. The old lighthouse still stands at

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