. Introduction
Phytoplankton plays a vital role in the transfer of energy from
primary to secondary level; hence, it acts as an integral part of
marine and estuarine ecosystem (Tiwari and Nair, 1998). Phytoplankton
is a predominant type of plants found in aquatic system
and its community and relative abundance undergoes continuous
changes at varying scales, and also used as good indicator of water
quality (Muhammad, 2005). Mangroves ecosystems contribute to
organic carbon and other nutrients in larger quantity to the adjacent
coastal ecosystems through various mechanisms (Purvaja and
Ramesh, 2000; Dittmar and Lara, 2001). Likewise, mangroves provide
nutrients for phytoplankton growth, thus enhancing the secondary
production and promotion of commercial fisheries (Alongi,
2002). Phytoplankton species are predominantly autotrophic or
holophytic organisms. They are the most important producer of organic substances, and the rate of energy is stored in the tiny organisms
determines the basic primary productivity of the ecosystem.