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When an accident involving oil spill occurs, forecasting the behaviour of the oil slick and understanding in advance where and when it will reach the coastline is crucial to organize an efficient emergency response while limiting severe environmental and economic consequences. After the Wakashio oil spill accident at Mauritius, CMCC Foundation, cmcc srl, in collaboration with Mercator Ocean International, deliver a bulletin modelling and forecasting the oil spill trajectory in the period of interest.

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).

Marine litter in coastal areas can bring economic, social, and environmental damage, especially the loss of aesthetic value of a tourist site. Therefore, research on the composition of marine litter to identify its sources is important for planning strategic action to minimize the problem. This study analyzed beach litter composition on five beaches (Kondangmerak, Balekambang, Ungapan, Ngudel, and Goa Cina) along the Indian Ocean coastline in the eastern part of the south Java region, Indonesia. All the beaches are known as the famous touristic beaches of Malang City, and receive many visitors, especially during the holiday season. Beach litter composition was obtained by collecting different types of litter in a 5 x 5 m square transect. Five square transects were placed along the beach strandline at each beach, and intervals of 20 m separated each transect. In each transect, the litter was collected and counted based on its category (plastic, paper, rubber, fabric, processed wood, metal, glass, ceramic, and hazardous items) and size (0.5-2.5cm, 2.5-5cm, 5-10 cm, and > 10 cm). There was a statistically significant variation in the number of litters among the sizes (p 10 cm was found least on all beaches (< 15%), while the other three size categories were found in similar numbers (in the range of 20% to 50%). Plastic was the dominating type of litter on all beaches. Based on the Clean Coastal Index, all beaches were considered dirty to extremely dirty. All litter on the beaches was the product of tourism activities, and littering habits play a significant role as the source of marine litter in the study areas. Since this is the first study on the marine litter composition in the eastern part of south Java, the results of this study can be used as a baseline for future studies to prevent marine debris pollution and to

Recently, the rights of small-scale fishers have increasingly been acknowledged in ocean governance because coastal development and various maritime activities have reduced traditional fishing grounds. More specifically, small-scale fisheries (SSF) are increasingly being threatened by ocean grabbing, pollution, and a lack of inclusiveness in decision-making processes. Although there are guidelines to resolve and reduce conflict, formal avenues to include fisher concerns, particularly in the context of ocean development and governance, remain a difficult task. Moreover, there is insufficient information on how fishers are impacted by coastal and marine development and how their concerns are included in the decision-making process. Hence, this study contributes to the SSF discourse by understanding and describing the characteristics and concerns of small-scale fishers from two coastal towns in East Africa with different levels of port development. Using data from perception surveys, focus group discussions, and participatory mapping, we discuss how fishers were involved in the decision-making processes to develop ports in Lamu, Kenya, and Bagamoyo, Tanzania. We found that fishers rely on nearshore ecosystems such as mangroves and coral reefs because of their accessibility since most fishers only use low-powered boats for fishing. Moreover, we found that the fishers' livelihoods were severely affected by port development and that they were excluded from the decision-making process concerning the port's construction and fishers' compensations. While some fishers believe that new ports in the region can increase their livelihoods by creating new markets and jobs, this is unlikely to happen since most fishers are not qualified to work in formal port-related jobs. We propose three steps that will allow fishermen to participate in port development decision-making processes and contribute to the development of a sustainable SSF. These include improving engagement with fisher

The marine environment is most vital and flexible with continual variations in salinity, temperature, and pressure. As a result, bacteria living in such an environment maintain the adaption mechanisms that are inherent in unstable environmental conditions. The harboring of metal-resistant genes in marine bacteria contributes to their effectiveness in metal remediation relative to their terrestrial counterparts. A total of four mercury-resistant bacteria (MRB) i.e. NIOT-EQR_J7 (Alcanivorax xenomutans); NIOT-EQR_J248 and NIOT-EQR_J251 (Halomonas sp.); and NIOT-EQR_J258 (Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus) were isolated from the equatorial region of the Indian Ocean (ERIO) and identified by analyzing the 16S rDNA sequence. The MRBs can reduce up to 70% of Hg(II). The mercuric reductase (merA) gene was amplified and the mercury (Hg) volatilization was confirmed by the X-ray film method. The outcomes obtained from ICP-MS validated that the Halomonas sp. NIOT-EQR_J251 was more proficient in removing the Hg from culture media than other isolates. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy results revealed alteration in several functional groups attributing to the Hg tolerance and reduction. The Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis confirmed that strain Halomonas sp. (NIOT-EQR_J248 and NIOT-EQR_J251) released Isooctyl thioglycolate (IOTG) compound under mercury stress. The molecular docking results suggested that IOTG can efficiently bind with the glutathione S-transferase (GST) enzyme. A pathway has been hypothesized based on the GC-MS metabolic profile and molecular docking results, suggesting that the compound IOTG may mediate mercuric reduction via merA-GST related detoxification pathway.

The Mahanadi Estuarine System (MES), with a complex network of freshwater channels, rivers, and mangroves, is a leading seaport in State Odisha on the east coast of India, but subjected to intense human activity in recent years. Such anthropic impingements are known to impact sediment-dwelling biota adversely. However, information on the macrobenthic community of the MES is not well documented yet. Therefore, the primary objectives of this study (February 2013-March 2017) were to address knowledge gaps on the macrobenthic community structure vis-à-vis local environmental conditions and to evaluate the extent of anthropogenic disturbances on macrobenthos. The results from 264 benthic grab samples (van Veen, 0.04 m2; 2 replicates × 12 GPS fixed locations × 3 seasons) revealed 73 taxa representing 64 genera and 48 families of macrobenthic fauna. The polychaetes (81.41%) and crustaceans (15.42%) were significant faunal groups that contributed mainly to the benthic population and diversity. Multivariate approaches using benthic community attributes and biotic indices (AMBI and M-AMBI) as proxy measures of environmental disturbances proved effective for appraisal. The correlations between the environmental parameters (temperature, pH, salinity) and community estimates were statistically significant. Hierarchical clustering analysis disclosed three major groups (Global R 0.70; p < 0.002) influenced by tolerant/opportunist species. The lower abundance, richness, diversity, and dominance of opportunistic species mark the signs of environmental stress. The community health status remained unbalanced, as indicated by AMBI scoring. M-AMBI analysis contributed best in differentiating areas exposed to diverse impacts and indicated polluted community health status with moderate ecological quality. Our results reiterate the effective use of macrobenthos as bioindicators for ecological status and monitoring. The findings could be utilized for future monitoring assessments, transl

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

Scientists from the East African coast to the south coast of England are working together to map the impact of plastic pollution on a critical marine environment in a remote part of the Western Indian Ocean.

The majority of the waste on Mumbai's Versova beach was plastic, washed in from the sea.

The majority of the waste on Mumbai's Versova beach was plastic, washed in from the sea.

The survey says by 2050, there will be more plastic waste in the ocean than fish across the globe.

The survey says by 2050, there will be more plastic waste in the ocean than fish across the globe.

Bay of Bengal: depleted fish stocks and huge dead zone signal tipping point