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¹ North Orissa University, Department of Biotechnology, Baripada-757003, Orissa, India Viewed : 5075 - Downloaded : 4735 Mangrove ecosystem being suitable for brackish water shrimp culture, large number of aquaculture ponds have been developed in the periphery of Bhitarkanika National Park area of Orissa, India. These ponds are regularly fed by brackish water from nearby Brahmani-Baitarani river system and the same water is ultimately discharged into the mangrove ecosystem. In the present study, some physico-chemical parameters such as pH, temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, calcium, magnesium, total hardness, chlorine, phosphate, nitrate, and total dissolved solid contents of seven aquaculture ponds have been analysed for assessment of pollution status with respect to river water taken as control. Studies were undertaken for a period of six months from November 2005 to April 2006 during which the physico-chemical parameters were compared with the water quality standard of Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) and Central and the State Pollution Control Board (PCB). pH values of the aquaculture ponds range between 5.63-8.5 as against the value of standard water quality i.e.6.5-8.5. Nitrate, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, and chlorine contents show variation within different sites. Dissolved oxygen values vary from 3.0 to 8.3 mg/L during six months of investigation. Some of the sites show higher dissolved oxygen values than the permissible limits (4.0-5.0 mg/L) prescribed by PCB and BIS indicating that these waters do not pose any threat to aquatic life. The study indicates that the aquaculture pond water at present do not possess any pollution problem for the mangrove ecosystem. Keywords : dissolved oxygen, nitrate, physico-chemical, saline water, pollution