PARADIP: Environmentalists and marine fauna lovers have expressed serious concern over safety of Olive Ridley turtles and other marine species in Bay of Bengal due to non-removal of sunken Mongolian ship mv Black Rose. Even five months after the cargo carrier sank, no step has been taken to dredge out the wreck. Recently an expert team led by Marine Science Prof P.K.Mohanty conducted a survey about possible sea pollution and safety of turtles due to presence of shipwreck. The expert team has submitted its report to the Environment and Forest Department and wanted immediate steps to remove the wreck. Every year lakhs of turtles come to Orissa coast during this time of the year to lay eggs. Environmentalists said the presence of the shipwreck would damage the habitat of Olive Ridley turtles and can cause mortality. The ship contains 24,000 metric tonnes of iron ore fines. If the fines are washed away by currents and settle on the seabed, benthic fauna - tiny creatures found at the bottom of the sea - would be wiped out leading to a food crisis for turtles, said the expert team. Materials in the ill-fated ship can cause irrevocable harm to the habitat of sea turtles once they break up. Food of turtles like jellyfish, mollusc, shrimp and starfish could be killed due to water contamination. Considering the threat to turtles, the expert team recommended early removal of the sunken ship. The sunken ship would also block the movement of sand on the beach that would subsequently squeeze the shore space in Gahirmatha affecting mass nesting of turtles, said the greens. Director, Environment and Forests, Bhagirathi Behera said the team had already submitted its report. The department is studying the report for future course of action, he said. Deputy Chairman, Paradip Port Trust (PPT), Biplav Kumar clarified that the decision to dredge out the sunken ship would be finalised at government level. The Mongolian vessel carrying 23,847 metric tonnes of iron ore cargo (fines) and 920 metric tonnes of furnace oil sank off Paradip coast on September 9 last year. US-based bidder M/s Resolve Marine Groups pumped out oil at a cost of Rs 17.50 crore one month after the mishap.