Group items tagged

The productivity and sustainability of coastal, marine, and estuarine ecosystems are heavily reliant on the quality of coastal waters (JHA et al., 2013; JHA et al., 2015; DHEENAN et al., 2016). These locations are thought to have greater biodiversity than open ocean zones (GRAY, 1997). Among the biological components of soft bottom sediments, macrobenthic organisms are essential for ecosystem functioning (Pandey et al., 2022). They play a vital role in secondary production and nutrient exchange between the pelagic and benthic realms and therefore constitute essential elements of estuarine and coastal habitats (SNELGROVE, 1998) and are a reliable indicator for assessing the biotic integrity of the coastal ecosystem (RYU et al., 2011; Pandey et al., 2021). Due to their sedentary lifestyle, long life cycle, and differential response against the perturbation, they also serve as useful bio-indicator (GESTEIRA-GOMEZet al., 2003) for health monitoring and assessment of coastal ecosystems (GANESH et al., 2014) and evaluating the success of conservation efforts (WINBERGT et al., 2007). Identification of factors responsible for spatiotemporal patterns in macrofaunal assemblages is the primary goal amongst many marine benthic ecological studies (BOLAM et al., 2008; DUTERTRE et al., 2013; PANDEY and GANESH , 2019b). However, such pattern in the benthic community is often hard to predict due to the complex interplay between environmental parameters and biological interactions (ELLIS et al., 2006). The relationship between natural environmental factors and macrobenthos is reported to help delineate faunal distribution patterns, characterising benthic habitats, establish baseline knowledge, and enabling the detection of spatial and temporal variations (BOLAM et al., 2008; SHUMCHENIA and King, 2010; Dutertre et al., 2013). Numerous studies (Van Hoey et al., 2004; Hily et al., 2008; DUTERTRE et al., 2013; Pandey and Ganesh, 2019b) have identified sediment properties as a significan

Coastal waters are inherently dynamic due to river discharge, industrial effluents, shipping, dredging, waste dumping, and sewage disposal. Population growth in urban cities, climate change and variability, and changes in land-use practices all contribute to pressure on coastal water quality (SKOVSKI et al., 2012; MILLER and HUTCHINS, 2017; KUMAR et al., 2020; Vijay PRAKASH et al., 2021). Anthropogenic activity is evident around these estuaries and coastal and open ocean environments. Hence, it is important to assess the water quality on a regular basis and provide mitigation measures for coastal pollution (YUVARAJ et al., 2018). Improving water quality and variability in coastal waters is necessary and should be prioritized. Observational programs, which are more expensive and time-consuming, aid in understanding the status of water quality and its trends. Many countries have coastal programs that use predictive systems to inform the public and stakeholders about coastal health. Hydrodynamic processes are an integral part of complex surface water systems. The main factor that determines the concentration of pollutants is hydrodynamic transport, which includes advection, dispersion, vertical mixing, and convection (James, 2002). The flow and circulation patterns have a great influence not only on the distribution of temperature, nutrients, and dissolved oxygen (DO) but also on the aggregation and distribution of sediments and pollutants. When a load of pollutants is discharged into coastal waters, it is affected by the fate and transportation processes that change its concentration. Several studies have been conducted to evaluate the coastal water quality spatiotemporally along the east coast of Indian coastal waters using site-specific data and model configuration (PANDA et al., 2006; BHARAHTI et al., 2017; NAIK et al., 2020; MOHANTY et al., 2021). Through numerical modeling and remote sensing, estimation is user-friendly and low-cost in evaluating any water quali

Island ecosystems possess pristine environmental characteristics; human influence poses a serious threat to the fragile and susceptible biological processes on the islands (Sahu et al., 2013; Jha et al., 2015). Isolated oceanic islands support a highly sensitive and fragile coral reef ecosystem that offers unique possibilities to study the ecological changes and consequences that come with human settlement (Jha et al., 2011; Connor et al., 2012; Jha et al., 2013). Coral reefs are vital and core economic assets for any country that lies in the tropical and sub-tropical marine environment. Globally, the estimated economic support from this habitat has been calculated to be $375 billion per year (Cesar and Beukering, 2004; Brander et al., 2007). The important ecological services provided by these coral reef habitats have been identified as fish production, control of soil erosion on land, carbon sequestration, breeding grounds, etc. The coral reefs of Lakshadweep Islands are predominantly occupied by Scleractinian corals at various levels of the benthic substrate such as reef flat lagoon, reef crest, and reef slope. They are under great threat due to natural disturbances (Kumaraguru et al., 2005; Wilson et al., 2005) as well as anthropogenic disturbances (Wilson, 2010). The assessment of the biological indicators of benthic reef habitat is a key factor that helps in understanding the health status of any coral reef ecosystem (Al-Sofyani et al., 2014). The Crown-of-thorns Starfish (Acanthaster planciLinnaeus, 1758) is a major coral predator reported from various coral reef ecosystems. Their devastating population outbreaks have posed a great threat to coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific coastal region in the last five decades (Birkeland and Lukas, 1990; Fabricius et al., 2010). Besides the Crown-of-thorns Starfish, zooxanthellae-consuming gastropods are also reported as indicators for assessing the health status of corals in the Red Sea reef ecosystem (Mohamed et al., 2012;

Coastal waters support a diverse range of marine life and contribute to the country's economy. Seawater quality has a significant impact on the ecological sustainability and biological productivity of coastal and marine ecosystems (DHEENAN et al., 2014; DHEENAN et al., 2016). However, population growth and industrialization in the coastal regions have steadily increased the anthropogenic pressure, resulting in seawater quality degradation along the coast. Anthropogenic activities such as land-based runoff, sewage discharge, industrial & aquaculture effluent and eutrophication in the coastal environment could impact the aquatic biota of the region. Consequently, coastal pollution has become a global issue that requires intervention through the application of monitoring programs and improvement of the seawater quality through a mitigation management system. The combined effects of salinity and temperature influence the coastal water, and nutrient content is responsible for productivity, therefore information on these parameter's distribution in different coastal ecosystems is important (SATPATHY et al., 1986). Among the numerous inorganic elements required for life support in marine coastal ecosystems, nitrogen, phosphorous, and silicates are believed to be more significant than the others because they play a vital role in phytoplankton abundance, growth, and metabolism (Barath KUMAR et al., 2018). The distribution and behavior of nutrients in the coastal environment, particularly in the nearshore environment, varies greatly depending on local variables such as anthropogenic activities, fresh water influx, tidal variation, and biological activity such as phytoplankton intake and regeneration. Although several studies on water quality have been conducted in other Indian coastal regions (RENJITH et al., 2015; JHA et al., 2015; YUVARAJ et al., 2018; SATHEESWARAN et al., 2019; RATMAN et al., 2022), there is relatively less work carried out on the seawater quality char

Manta rays are large planktivores that inhabit tropical and subtropical waters globally, which are generally oligotrophic (MARSHALL, COMPAGNO & BENNETT, 2009). Therefore, to meet their metabolic needs, manta rays need to locate pulses of zooplankton productivity. Similar to other tropical planktivores, such as leatherback turtles Dermochelys coriacea (HAYS et al., 2006) and whale sharks Rhincodon typus (ROHNER et al., 2015), manta rays aggregate where and when conditions result in elevated local productivity (DEWAR et al., 2008; ANDERSON, ADAM & GOES, 2011; Jaine et al., 2012). However, these productivity 'hotspots' are ephemeral in nature and often difficult for researchers to locate and characterise (HARRIS et al., 2020; HARRIS et al., 2021), which makes the direct study of planktivore feeding ecology challenging (SIMS, 2008; ROHNER et al., 2015).

En avril 2017, une équipe internationale de scientifiques part étudier les écosystèmes inconnus d'un mont sous-marin reculé du sud-ouest de l'océan Indien à bord du MARION-DUFRESNE, navire océanographique français opéré par l'Institut polaire français IPEV. Le Banc WALTERS, une montagne submergée située au-delà des juridictions nationales, est étudié par les scientifiques du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle et de l'IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement) pendant l'expédition de 26 jours. 'La Dernière Frontière' est un documentaire produit par l'UICN en partenariat avec et grâce au soutien financier du Fonds Français pour l'Environnement Mondial (FFEM) qui relate cette expédition et ses enjeux. Il appelle à plus de science pour la haute mer, et une meilleure gouvernance des eaux internationales. Ecrit par James NIKITINE, il est réalisé par James NIKITINE et Fabiano D'AMATO, avec une narration d'Alain GHAZAL et une musique de Woodkid. La haute mer constitue #LaDernièreFrontière à nos connaissances. Pour plus d'informations rendez-vous sur le site: https://www.iucn.org/science4highseas

Tôt ce lundi, Team Sanya a constaté une avarie sur son gréement et fait route vers un port au sud de Madagascar pour évaluer les dommages et élaborer un plan de secours. Personne n'a été blessé à bord et les équipiers sont sains et saufs.

Plastics account for ~80% of the litter in many marine environments (MORALES-CASELLES et al., 2021) and, a suitable example of a transboundary problem. Several decades of waste mismanagement have made plastics ubiquitous in the global ecosystem and one of the largest growing environmental problems (KERSHAW, 2016). Given the growing evidence of the threats caused by plastics and the projected alarming accumulation in the oceans, environmental managers are urgently pursuing sustainable solutions to reduce plastic. One solution to plastic pollution is identifying the accumulation zones (i.e., hotspots of plastic accumulation). Accumulation zones are also critical for our long-term understanding of the dynamics of plastics in the marine system and identifying vulnerable ecosystems (Lebreton et al., 2017). However, few reports have focused on this aspect of plastic research, particularly from the Indian coast. At the same time, there was a surge in marine plastic publications (80 articles); however, 65% of the study was from beaches. This article addressed this gap by identifying potential plastic accumulation zones along the Indian coast based on published literature. Studies in the field of oil dispersion, plankton connectivity, and marine safety recovery provide an opportunity to understand how oceanographic features may govern the transport of plastic in the ocean (VAN SEBILLE et al., 2020).

Suite à la réussite du projet « poulpe » à Mbouanatsa en fin d'année 2016, ce samedi 11 février 2017, l'association des pêcheurs à pied de Mtsahara, accompagnée par le Parc naturel marin de Mayotte, fermera également la pêche sur le platier du village. L'objectif est de permettre aux poulpes de se reproduire, et de devenir plus gros et plus nombreux. La réouverture du site aura lieu le 27 mai 2017.

Une tonne de déchets toxiques déversée le long des côtes somaliennes ne coûte que 2,50 $. C'est la décharge la moins chère du monde avec des bénéfices confortables pour les occidentaux. Des centaines de Somaliens tombent malades. Qui déverse ces déchets? Qui en tire profit? Deux journalistes italiens sont morts pour avoir posé ces questions. Enquête sur les réseaux où collaborent hommes d'affaires et criminels, les pirates somaliens et les trafics entourant la gestion des déchets nucléaires.

Telefónica remporte ce soir le premier acte de l'étape entre Le Cap et Abu Dhabi. Après plus de 15 jours de course, une minute et 57 secondes le sépare seulement de CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand, deuxième !

Après 12 jours de course, c'est la veille de Noël et les concurrents de la Volvo Ocean Race se rapprochent du port secret, arrivée du premier acte de cette étape. Entre les leaders et leurs poursuivants, la fête n'a pas le même gout.

Offshore : les norvégiens Statoil et Aibel licencient.

Un trafic d'ailerons de requins et concombres de mer mis à jour à Madagascar.

L'Australie encerclé par le cyclone TREVOR et la future tempête VERONICA.

Une série de films et de photographies du monde entier qui vise à enrichir notre connaissance, notre appréciation et notre compréhension de l'économie bleue.

Au cours des mois de mai et de juin 2017, la Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150) a conduit l'opération "Southern Surge" au cours de laquelle plus de 1,75 tonne de drogues a été saisie portant ainsi un coup important aux réseaux de trafiquants qui, à travers l'océan Indien, contribuent au financement du terrorisme international et alimentent tout particulièrement le marché européen en héroïne.

Alors que débute la 5e semaine de ce Vendée Globe, les défis qui s'annoncent sont nombreux. En tête de course, Charlie DALIN (Apivia) et Thomas RUYANT (LinkedOut​) doivent décider de leur stratégie avant d'affronter un front conséquent à partir de demain. D'autres, comme Louis BURTON, sont déjà face à un autre front ce lundi matin. Loin de là, quatre skippers ont passé le cap de Bonne-Espérance hier et savent que la suite s'annonce particulièrement corsée.

Les plus grands spécialistes mondiaux des tortues ont découvert que près de la moitié (45%) des populations menacées de tortues marines se trouvent dans le nord de l'Océan Indien. L'étude a aussi déterminé que les menaces les plus importantes pour l'ensemble des populations des tortues marines sont les captures accidentelles par des pêcheurs qui ciblent d'autres espèces, et le prélèvement direct de tortues ou de leurs œufs pour les manger ou pour le commerce de l'écaille.

Sur les 135 projets déposés dans le cadre de l'appel à manifestation d'intérêt "Equipements structurants pour la recherche" (EquipEx+), l'IFREMER en avait 3 en course. Et bonne nouvelle : tous figurent sur la liste des 50 infrastructures de pointe que le Premier ministre s'est engagé, le 18 décembre, à financer.