COMPARATIVE SEASONAL ANALYSIS OF PHYSIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND PHYTOPLANKTON SPECIES COMPOSITION IN BATTICALOA LAGOON AND KANDY LAKE

Abstract

Batticaloa Lagoon is a very large estuarine lagoon with brackish water in Batticaloa District, Sri
Lanka. It is a long and narrow lagoon situated in the East coast of Sri Lanka with the total area is
11,500 ha of water. The Surface area is 141.18 sq.kilometersand the highest depth is 4 meters.
The lagoon is 56 km long and opens into the sea at two points. One in the southern end of the
lagoon at Periyakallar and the other is midway of the lagoon at Palameenmadu which is close to
the Batticaloa town.
Water samples were collected in two seasons i.e., in June (dry season) and November (rainy
season) at two sampling locations, which are A (Eravur) and B (Koddamunai bridge area). When
compare to previous year (2020 / The Government imposed lockdown and curfew for a long
period) the pollution level was increased in the year 2021. Higher numbers of phytoplankton
members were recorded in dry season than rainy season.
Kandy Lake is a freshwater ornamentalartificial Lake in the heart of the hill city of Kandy, Sri
Lanka. The total surface area is 19ha.The surface areais 0.006544 sq. kilometers. The
circumference is 3.21 km. The highest depth is 18.5 meters. Kandy Lakeis artificial and was
created in 1807 by Sri Wickrama Rajasinha, the last ruler of the kingdom of Kandy.
Water samples were collected in two seasons i.e., in June (dry season) and November (rainy
season) at two sampling locations which are A (Kandy City Center area) and B (Department of
Immigration & Emigration area).In both seasons same number (08) of phytoplankton members
were recorded in both sampling locations A (Kandy City Center area) and B (Department of
Immigration & Emigration area). The density of phytoplankton members was reduced in rainy
season in both sampling locations.
During the study period in the year 2021, no algal bloom was recorded at both sampling stations
of Batticaloa Lagoon and Kandy Lake.