Extraction of persistent lagrangian coherent structures for the pollutant transport prediction in the Bay of Bengal.

Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCS) are the hidden fluid flow skeletons that provide meaningful information about the Lagrangian circulation. In this study, we computed the monthly climatological LCSs (cLCS) maps utilizing 24 years (1994-2017) of HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) currents and ECMWF re-analysis winds in the Bay of Bengal (BoB). The seasonal reversal of winds and associated reversal of currents makes the BoB dynamic.

The consequences of reduced anthropogenic activities during the COVID-19 pandemic on microplastic abundance in a tropical estuarine region: Goa, India.

Plastic pollution is pervasive, as it has infiltrated every corner of the planet and the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a depletion in the production, consumption, and disposal of plastics. To find out the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, a comparative assessment of microplastics (MPs) observed before and after the pandemic was evaluated in surface water and sediment from the major rivers of Goa, i.e.

Seasonal variation and spatial distribution of microplastic pellets and their associated contaminants along the central east coast of India.

Microplastic pellets (MPPs) are one of the significant sources of plastic pollution on shorelines worldwide. In this study, for the first time, we have examined the occurrence of MPPs and their spatial and seasonal distributions, adsorbed contaminants, polymer composition, and ecological risks at eight renowned beaches of Andhra Pradesh, central east coast of India. A total of 3950 MPPs were collected from eight beaches along the central east coast of India during October 2020, representing pre-northeast monsoon (pNEM), and during January 2021, representing the northeast monsoon (NEM).

Microplastic intrusion into the zooplankton, the base of the marine food chain: Evidence from the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean.

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in the marine environment, yet information regarding their occurrence in the food web is limited. We investigated the concentration and composition of MPs in water and diverse zooplankton groups from the Arabian Sea basin. Forty-one zooplankton tows were collected with a bongo net (330 μm mesh) from the Arabian Sea in January 2019.

Year-to-year variability of oil pollution along the Eastern Arabian Sea: The impact of COVID-19 imposed lock-downs.

This study investigated the year-to-year variability in the occurrence, abundance and sources of oil spills in the Eastern Arabian Sea (EAS) using sentinel-1 imagery and identified the potential oil spills vulnerable zones. The four consecutive year's data acquired from 2017 to 2020 (March-May) reveal three oil spill hot spot zones. The ship-based oil spills were dominant over zone's-1 (off Gujarat) and 3 (off Karnataka and Kerala), and the oil field based over zone-2 (off Maharashtra).

Fate of MV Wakashio oil spill off Mauritius coast through modelling and remote sensing observations.

This study aims at assessing the fate of MV Wakashio oil spill, and the driving forces responsible for possible environmental consequences of polluted coastal region. GNOME simulations were performed, considering various meteo-oceanographic forcings such as (i) winds and currents, (ii) only winds, and (iii) only winds with different diffusion coefficients, and validated with the satellite images. The results revealed that the simulations performed with 'only winds' reasonably match with the satellite observations, indicating that winds are the primary driving forces.

Spatial and seasonal variation of microplastics and possible sources in the estuarine system from central west coast of India.

The versatile use of various synthetic polymers, including plastics, generates a large volume of non-degradable waste, which is eventually responsible for forming microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments. The present study describes the significant spatial and seasonal variation on the abundance of MPs and their physiochemical nature along the Mandovi-Zuari estuarine system of Goa, west coast of India. During the wet season (September), the average abundance of MPs was found relatively higher in water (0.

Formation and weathering assessment of oil-suspended sediment aggregates through a laboratory investigation.

Formation of oil-suspended sediment aggregates (OSAs) is believed to be one of the natural cleaning processes in the marine environment. In this study, we have investigated the formation processes of OSAs under different mixing periods (continuous mixing and with the addition of sediments in between), oil-sediment ratios (1:1, 1:2 and 2:1) and crude oils (Arabian Light (AL), Kuwait (KW) and Murban (MB)). The results revealed that size of OSAs significantly increased (up to ≈ 1.

Degradation of tarballs using associated bacterial consortia.

Tarballs are semi-solid blobs of crude-oil formed in marine environment. Microbial degradation of tarballs is poorly understood, though there are indications that tarball-associated microbes can degrade recalcitrant hydrocarbons present in tarballs. In this study, 38 tarball-associated bacteria from Betul beach, Goa, India were initially screened for crude oil degradation.

Assessing the source of oil deposited in the surface sediment of Mormugao Port, Goa - A case study of MV Qing incident.

In June 2016, a cruise vessel was grounded in the Mormugao Port, resulting in unnoticed oil spill. The surface water and sediment samples were collected from the vicinity of the ship, and also an oil sample from the ship (OIL). These samples were subject to petroleum biomarker such as pentacyclic triterpenes (hopanes) and compound specific carbon isotopic (δC) analyses to assess the source of hydrocarbon pollution in the Mormugao Port.

Oil pollution in the Eastern Arabian Sea from invisible sources: A multi-technique approach.

The Eastern Arabian Sea (EAS) is affected by oil pollution, as often evidenced by the presence of tarballs along the West Coast of India (WCI). Tarball samples collected during May 2017 along the Goa coast were subject to biomarker fingerprints, and the results matched with Bombay High (BH) oil fingerprints. The present study primarily aims at identifying the potential minor spill areas using Sentinel-imagery.

Incidence of Prosthetic Complications associated with Implant-borne Prosthesis in a Sleep Disorder Center.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the common prevalent conditions present worldwide. The process of abnormal habits related to clenching and grinding of teeth is referred to as bruxism and is characterized under the heading of parafunctional activity of the masticatory system. Osseointegrated dental implants represent advancements in the field of odontology.

Diversity of bacteria and fungi associated with tarballs: Recent developments and future prospects.

Tarballs are formed by weathering of crude oil in marine environment. They are transported from open ocean to the shores by sea currents and waves. Tarball pollution is a major concern to global marine ecosystem.

Characteristics, seasonal distribution and surface degradation features of microplastic pellets along the Goa coast, India.

Microplastic pellets (MPPs) are ubiquitous contaminants, recognised as a serious threat to the biota in coastal, estuarine and marine environment. The distribution, abundance, weathering and chemical characteristics of MPPs on the beaches of Goa, and their transport to the coast during the southwest (SW) monsoon are discussed in this paper. MPP samples collected from six sandy beaches were categorised based on colour and polymer types using Stereoscope microscope and FTIR-ATR spectroscopy, respectively.

Backtrack modeling to locate the origin of tar balls depositing along the west coast of India.

Tar ball (TB) deposition along the West Coast of India (WCI) is a common phenomenon during the southwest monsoon season, particularly along the coast of Goa and Gujarat, and it is a major concern to the stake holders. Our earlier studies showed that the source oil for the TBs deposited on the Goa coast in August 2010 is the tanker wash, and the source for subsequent TBs deposited on the Gujarat coast during July 2012 and June 2013 and Goa coast in May 2013 is from Bombay High (BH) oil fields. In the present study, the TBs that were deposited during May 2013 and May 2014 on the Goa coast were backtracked through a trajectory model, primarily to simulate their pathways and identify the reason for the occurrence of TBs only in May, and eventually to identify the origin and the source.

Identifying the source of tar balls deposited along the beaches of Goa in 2013 and comparing with historical data collected along the West Coast of India.

Deposition of oil residues, also known as tar balls, is a seasonal phenomenon, and it occurs only in the southwest monsoon season along the west coast of India. This has become a serious environmental issue, as Goa is a global tourist destination. The present work aims at identifying the source oil of the tar balls that consistently depositing along the Goa coast using multi-marker fingerprint technique.

Source investigation of the tar balls deposited along the Gujarat coast, India, using chemical fingerprinting and transport modeling techniques.

Deposition of tar balls (TBs) along the south Gujarat coast, situated on the west coast of India (WCI), commonly occurs during the southwest monsoon season. Several offshore oil fields off the Mumbai-Gujarat coast, and refineries along the coast might be sources of oil spills/leakages and lead to the formation of TBs. To identify the sources, we collected 12 TB samples from the beaches of Gujarat (Tithal, Maroli, Umbergam, and Nargol) during 15-17 July 2012 as well as samples of crude oils, namely, Cairn, NIKO, MSC Chitra, and two at Bombay High (BH).

Identification of sources of tar balls deposited along the Goa coast, India, using fingerprinting techniques.

Deposition of tar balls along the coast of Goa, India is a common phenomenon during the southwest monsoon. Representative tar ball samples collected from various beaches of Goa and one Bombay High (BH) crude oil sample were subjected to fingerprint analysis based on diagnostic ratios of n-alkane, biomarkers of pentacyclic tri-terpanes and compound specific stable carbon isotope (δ¹³C) analysis to confirm the source. The results were compared with the published data of Middle East Crude Oil (MECO) and South East Asian Crude Oil (SEACO).