Fourteen surface and two core sediment samples were collected from the backwaters of Cochin, Kerala, southwest coast of India, in order to study the systematics and distribution of Recent Ostracoda. The ostracod taxa were separated from the sediments applying standard micropaleontological techniques. A total of 20 Ostracod species belonging to 17 genera and 8 families were identified. Sediment parameters such as CaCO_3, organic matter and sand-silt-clay ratio were estimated for the surface as well as core samples in order to determine the relationship between substrate and Ostracoda populations, and to evaluate the favoured substrate of dominant species populations. The down core distribution of sediment parameters and ostracod assemblages is presented. Based on this data we determine that ostracods favour silty-sandy substrate environments. The rate of sedimentation was determined based on the ratio between the carapace and open valves of Ostracoda. The benthic ostracod fauna recorded is characteristic of a tropical, brackish to epi-neritic environment and few warm, shallow marine species occur in the backwaters of Cochin, may be due to the tidal influence.