Physicochemical Features of Water Collected from Salt Marsh Bed (Spartina alterniflora) at Moheshkhali Coastal Area, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

The present study was conducted on salt marsh bed (Spartina alterniflora) at Moheshkhali coastal area, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Some physicochemical factors, namely temperature, salinity, pH, DO, NO3–N, PO4–P, Ca (%), fat (%), moisture (%) and ash (%) were analyzed. In the present study, pore water temperature varied between 24°C and 28°C. The highest value of the temperature of pore water of S. alterniflora bed was recorded as 28° ± 1.26°C in July from station 3. Salinity was found between 18‰ and 33‰ in the present study. The value of pH, DO, NO3–N, PO4–P, Ca, protein, fat, moisture and ash ranged for 6.4–7.6; 0.95–2.04 mg/L; 1.38–1.72 µg/g; 1.83–2.47 µg/g; 101–119 mg/kg; 11.1%–12.35%; 0.32%–0.51%; 17.96%–21.1% and 19.58%–21.3% at S. alterniflora bed, respectively. Temperature, salinity, pH, and NO2–N showed significant variations in different month (P < 0.05). Substantial changes were found in the concentrations of DO, Ca, protein, fat, and moisture in terms of sites (P < 0.05). Very strong linear relationships were found in Ca (%) vs. PO4–P (r = 0.953); fat (%) vs. protein (%) (r = 0.942); PO4–P vs. NO3–N (r = 0.932); pH vs. temperature (r = 0.928); Ca (%) vs. NO3–N (r = 0.917); and fat (%) vs. Ca (%) (r = 0.891) at the significance level 0.01. Strong relationships were observed in fat (%) vs. PO4–P (r = 0.784), moisture (%) vs. DO (r = 0.782), fat (%) vs. NO3–N (r = 0.752), PO4–P vs. protein (%) (r = 0.710) and temperature vs. moisture (%) (r = 0.603) at the alpha level 0.01. The present study suggest that the variation of parameters were strongly correlated with nutrients and the hydrological parameters as well as minerals of the salt marsh (S. alterniflora) plant.