Lok Sabha Question No. 245 (STARRED), answered on 2017-08-02
Subject: Biogeochemical/Biological Changes of Coastal Seas
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: SAUGATA ROY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *245

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 02, 2017

## BIOGEOCHEMICAL/BIOLOGICAL CHANGES OF COASTAL SEAS

*245. PROF. SAUGATA ROY:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to conduct a thorough study on various  aspects  of  biogeochemical  and  biological  changes  of coastal seas of western parts of the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the objectives of the study along with the institutes involved in the study;
- (c) whether  the  human  intervention  affects  the  environment  of  the coast of western India; and
- (d)
- if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES (DR.HARSH VARDHAN)

(a)-(d)

A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE LOK SABHA IN REPLY (a) to (d) TO STARRED QUESTION NO. *245 REGARDING 'BIOGEOCHEMICAL/BIOLOGICAL

CHANGES OF COASTAL SEAS' TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2017

- (a)&(b)      The  ministry  has  been  implementing  a  project  to  study  various aspects of  biogeochemistry in  the  seas  around  India  including  east and  west  coast  of  India  for  over  decade.  The  Biogeochemistry  is  a multi-disciplinary  subject  that  interacts  with  physical,  chemical, biological,  and  geological  processes  and  reactions  that  govern  the composition  of  and  changes  to  the  natural  environment.  A  system, scientific and long-term study on biogeochemistry of the seas around India  was  launched  by  MoES  in  2010  with  the  participation  of  a network of national scientific and academic institutions. There are 24 sub-projects under the program addressing various aspects of biogeochemical  aspects  at  an  estimated  cost  of  Rs  47  crores.  The participating  agencies  include  National  Institute  of  Oceanography (NIO), Goa, Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, Central Marine  Living  Resources,  (CMLRE)  Kochi,  Central  Marine  Fishery Research Institute (CMFRI). Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Kochi, Andhra University, Goa  University, Mangalore University.  The  study  contributes  towards  understanding climate change and marine biogeochemistry. This program envisaged collection of time-series data both in the Open Ocean and estuarine/coastal  waters  of  India.    A  set  of  3  time-series  observing stations  were  established  on  the  west  coast  of  India  near  Kochi, Condolim Goa and in the Arabian Sea.

The overarching objective is to carry out multi-disciplinary research at selected locations covering, core physical, chemical and biological parameters  with  a  view  to  understanding  the  carbon  and  nitrogen biogeochemical  process  including  associated  trace  elements  in  the seas  around  India.  The  key  mission  of  the  project  is  to  assess  the impact of  natural  and  anthropogenic  forcing  on  the  biogeochemical cycles  and  ecosystem  dynamics of the  Arabian  Sea  and the  Bay  of Bengal and study the human induced changes in climate and nutrient loading impact on the marine ecosystem and biogeochemical cycles. periodically as and

The various important parameters being monitored include chlorophyll, pH, dissolved, oxygen, nutrients such dissolved nitrogen (nitrate, Nitrite), phosphorus, organic inorganic carbon, bacteria, temperature, and salinity etc.

The  dissolved  nutrients  are  the  main  food  source  for  the  algae (phytoplankton) which forms the primary producers in the marine food chain. Biogeochemistry addresses various sources and sinks of these nutrients,  their  transformations  and  flow  in  the  food  chain  through various sizes of organisms from small phytoplankton to large fishes. Indeed biogeochemistry drives the biology of the sea which in turn is influenced  by  the  variation  in  physical  oceanographic  processes (winds, currents, waves, air-sea interaction, etc.). Excessive nutrients availability in the sea, supplied from rivers, atmospheric deposition, natural processes, etc. shall facilitate the blooming of phytoplankton, normally referred to algal blooms. The biological productivity in the surface ocean is largely controlled by the vertical movement of deep nutrient rich waters to the surface ocean, which is called upwelling.. The coastal sea along the western India encompassing five coastal states (Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat) has diverse environmental  conditions.  The  intensity  and  period  of  upwelling largely define the environmental status and suitability in supporting the coastal fishery resources along western India. These studies have contributed significantly towards understanding the biogeochemistry of the coastal seas of the west coast of India.

- (c)&(d)   No, Madam. Preliminary investigations reveal that the natural oceanographic process such as seasonal upwelling occur along the southwest coast of  India  appear  to  play  a  major  role  rather  human interventions on the marine environment. A long term monitoring of coastal pollution studies being carried out by MoES over a period of 2 dacades  also  indicates  that  the  impact  of  land  based  pollutants entering into coastal water is largely confined to very close to coast of  India.  The  data  further  indicates  that  the  concentration  of  the nutrients and population of pathogenic bacteria are confined to 1 - 2 km  at  these  locations  except  in  Mumbai.  A  suite  of  25  pollution parameters including physical, chemical, biological and microbiological  characteristics  of  water  and  sediment  at  selected locations at 20 different locations are monitored which vary from both in space and time.

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