The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
A dispute about non-native algae has broken out in India between beverage giant PepsiCo and the Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI), which is based in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. Institute researchers originally imported the alga Kappaphycus alvarezii for research; in 2001 PepsiCo began cultivating it for the food thickener …
Tuticorin: The Department of Forests will carry out a Centre-sponsored project for conservation and management of Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve on an estimated outlay of Rs.50 lakh during this financial year. Speaking to The Hindu, L. Nadhan, District Forest Officer, said that the project was aimed at augmenting the …
Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty (Rhodophyta: Solieriaceae) is a Philippine-derived macroalga introduced into the Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve, South India for mariculture in 2000. Here we report its bioinvasion on branching corals (Acropora sp.) in the Kurusadai Island. Qualitative data collected using underwater photography clearly indicated its invasion and …
Aerial extent and distribution pattern of seagrass meadows in the Mandapam group of islands viz. Pamban area of Rameshwaram, Krusadai, Pullivasal and Pumarichan Island of the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve were studied. Visual interpretation and digital analysis of satellite data viz. IRS 1D LISS III (2000 and 2002) and …
The Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project (SSCP) is a 167 km long shipping canal, and envisages the creation of a navigable canal from the Gulf of Mannar to the Bay of Bengal to facilitate the movement of ships. The proposed SSCP site is located in a globally significant marine ecosystem – …
On March 4, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board formed an expert technical group to look into the objections raised in public hearings to SSCP. M Ravindran, former director of the National Institute of Ocean Technology, chaired the group that included T Balasubramanian, director of Annamalai University's Centre for Advanced …
A D Taylor, a commander in the Indian Navy, was the first in 1860 to propose a channel allowing ships to move between the eastern and the western coast without rounding Sri Lanka. The alignment he proposed involved cutting a canal though land in many areas, unlike the current alignment …
The Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project under the consideration of the Ministry of Shipping, Government of India, envisages creation of a ship navigation channel to suit different draughts (9.15 m, 10.7 m and 12.8m) through dredging/excavation in Adam’s Bridge, parts of Palk Bay and Palk Strait. The navigation route will originate …
