COVID-19 induced lockdown reduced metal concentration in the surface water and bottom sediment of Asia's largest lagoon.

COVID-19 (hereafter COVID) induced lockdown provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of human activities on coastal ecosystems. This study quantified the seasonal variations in concentrations of nine metals (Al, Cr, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb) in surface water and sediment samples of the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia (i.e.

Seagrass ecosystem adjacent to mangroves store higher amount of organic carbon of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andaman Sea.

This study quantified the organic carbon (C) stocks in Thalassia hemprichii meadows that are (i) adjacent to mangroves (MG), and (ii) without mangroves (WMG), in tropical Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) of India. In the top 10 cm of the sediment, C content was 1.8-fold higher at the MG sites than the WMG sites.

Assessment of heavy metal accumulation in Penaeus monodon and its human health implications.

Asian tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon (P. monodon) of Chilika lagoon, India was studied regarding the metal accumulation and its associated human health risks. It showed a tendency of metal accumulation in the following order: Zn > Ni > Cu > Co > Cr > Pb > Cd.

Mechanism of Cr(VI) reduction by an indigenous Rhizobium pusense CR02 isolated from chromite mining quarry water (CMQW) at Sukinda Valley, India.

Toxicological assessment of CMQW generated due to chromite mining activities at Sukinda Valley has revealed high chromium contamination along with Zn and Fe. The present study focused on the mechanism of chromate reduction by an indigenous multi-metal tolerant bacterium, Rhizobium pusense CR02, isolated from CMQW. The isolated strain has shown resistance up to 520 mg/L of Cr(VI) with an IC50 value of 385.

Imprints of COVID-19 lockdowns on total petroleum hydrocarbon levels in Asia's largest brackish water lagoon.

India successfully executed one of the strictest lockdowns in the world during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, which provided unique opportunities to analyze the second-largest populous country's anthropogenic footprint on its natural systems. India's first Ramsar site and the world's second-largest brackish water system Chilika lagoon experienced a substantial decline (64%) in the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPHC) level in water, which was attributed to the massive declines or, at times, an abrupt complete halt of motorized boat operations for fishing and tourism. Using the TPHC values during the lockdown period, our study recommends a TPHC baseline threshold of 2.

Landfall season is critical to the impact of a cyclone on a monsoon-regulated tropical coastal lagoon.

Cyclones can produce a wide variety of short-term and long-term ecological impacts on coastal lagoons depending on cyclone's physical-meteorological characteristics and the lagoon's geographic, geomorphic, and bathymetric characteristics. Here, we theorized that in monsoon regulated tropical coastal lagoons, another important factor that could determine the impact of a cyclone is the landfall season or time of the year with reference to the monsoon season. We analyzed the impact of two cyclones which made landfall near Chilika, Asia's largest brackish water lagoon in different seasons, Cyclone Fani and Titli before and after the monsoon season.