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The Hindu
09-08-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
New freshwater crabs discovered in the Western Ghats in Kerala
Recent studies launched by researchers at the Department of Aquatics Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, have led to the discovery of a new genus and two new species of freshwater crabs from Western Ghats regions in Kerala. The new genus and species, belonging to the freshwater crab family Gecarcinucidae, was spotted in the Ranipuram Hill Station, Kasaragod district. It has been named Kasargodia sheebae. The other new species, also from the Gecarcinucidae family, was spotted in Gavi, Pathanamthitta district. This species belongs to the genus Pilarta and has been named Pilarta vaman, the researchers said. The Journal of Crustacean Biology has published the findings on Kasargodia sheebae, while a paper on the Pilartavaman has appeared in the journal Zootaxa. Both discoveries are by the same team; Smrithy Raj and A. Biju Kumar from the Department of Aquatics Biology and Fisheries, and Peter K.L. Ng, Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore. In the case of Kasargodia sheebae, the name of the new genus, Kasargodia, is derived from the northernmost Kerala district, while the species name is derived from the name of Sheeba Smrithy Raj, the wife of Smrithy Raj who assisted him on field trips. Kasargodia sheebae is distinguished by brownish-orange carapace with numerous black spots. The limbs bearing the claws are orange with black spots. The specimens were collected from a small mountain stream flowing through grasslands. The other new species, Pilarta vaman, is named after Vaman, one of the avatars of Vishnu in Hindu mythology. The name alludes to the small size of this crab. The carapace of this species is more quadrate. Specimens were collected from a small mountain stream at Gavi. 'The crabs appear to be rare, as only two individuals were found,' the Zootaxa paper noted. The Western Ghats mountain range harbours many endemic freshwater crab species, as proven by numerous recent discoveries, the researchers said. 'The actual diversity of freshwater crabs in the Western Ghats is unclear, because of their secretive nature and they are difficult to collect. Most are nocturnal and hide in deep burrows, presenting a challenge for researchers,' they said. The endemism of freshwater crabs in the Kerala section of the Western Ghats, which is close to 70%, is higher than that of any other group of organisms. However, both Kasargodia sheebae and Pilarta vaman face anthropogenic threats, according to the researchers. The tourist flow to the grasslands where these crabs were found pose significant threats to their habitats, they said.
The Hindu
14-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Fear of flotsam
On May 28, 2025, some flotsam reached the western coastline of Kanniyakumari district. Panic spread as the residents of the coastal hamlets noticed bags of chemicals, plastic pellets (nurdles), and loose nurdles washing ashore amid the flotsam. As they were aware of the Liberian cargo vessel having sunk off the Kochi coast on May 25, roughly 300 km away, the villagers wondered with trepidation whether pollution had reached their coast too. The initial investigation traced the contents to the vessel, MSC Elsa 3, which found their way to the Arabian Sea after the shipwreck. The ship had carried 644 containers, some of which had hazardous materials including calcium carbide, 367.1 metric tonnes of heavy furnace oil, and over 60 tonnes of diesel. As 28 huge containers from the ship which sank 38 nautical miles off Kochi washed ashore in the coastal areas near Kollam, plastic pellets were found in Thiruvananthapuram in a day's time. Redirected southward Ocean currents redirected some of the floating materials southward, causing them to wash ashore along the Kanniyakumari coast. The debris trail spread up to even Dhanushkodi and Arichalmunai in the Rameshwaram coast in the following days. The debris, including a container, wooden materials, cashew nuts and bags of plastic pellets, began drifting with the currents and landing along the coast of Kanniyakumari. Dickson, a resident of Vallavilai, says, 'Most of us knew this would happen, once we got to know that the debris had started washing ashore along the coast of Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram.' He adds that apart from nurdles, a log, possibly of teak wood or sandalwood, also washed ashore at Vallavilai. Villages, such as Neerody, Eraviputhenthurai, Enayam, Chinnathurai, Midalam, Kadiyapattinam, Simon Colony, Melamanakudy, Erayumanthurai, and Chothavilai, reported a significant amount of loose nurdles and bags of plastic pellets. Residents of Vallavilai, Kodimunai, and Midalam noticed iron rods and cashew nuts which were later traced to the shipwreck. On May 29, a container itself washed up on the coast of Vaniyakudi. The district administration started its response in coordination with the Revenue and Fisheries Departments and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, with advice from experts. On the 12-km stretch from Dhanushkodi to Arichalmunai in Rameswaram, about 80 bags of plastic pellets and more than 500 kg of loose nurdles have been removed so far. As the clean-up and salvaging of the container were done in line with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) laid down by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, conservancy workers and volunteers were roped in to collect the nurdles with protective gear, according to officials. However, A. Biju Kumar, senior professor, Marine Monitoring Lab, Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, says, 'India does not have an SOP for handling plastic pellets in the sea.' Though the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has laid down norms for safe handling of such materials, India itself does not have any rules, he adds. While the plastic pellets would cause no harm to the handlers, a study should be initiated to find out its long-term impact on the marine ecosystem, he stresses. Prompt alert Kanniyakumari Collector R. Alagumeena chaired a meeting with representatives of 15 coastal villages. Speaking to The Hindu, she said fishermen promptly alerted the authorities to the situation on May 28 and thereafter, thus helping in immediate remediation. She added that the debris was packed into 25-kg bags and transported to the fishing harbours at Thengapattinam, Colachel, and Chinna Muttom. From there, they would be transported to the Customs Office at Thoothukudi. According to the Kanniyakumari district administration, as of June 11, 58,375 kg of nurdles have been stored at the harbours in the district. The administration has formed a team to monitor accumulation of debris. While the official measures offered some relief, the fishing community feels that the incident has not received adequate attention from the government, given its impact on marine life and livelihood. Sagar of Erayumanthurai is unhappy with the lack of legal action against the ship company and the harbour management. 'Fishermen are the ones who bear the brunt of this disaster,' he says. He points to the growing evidence of turtles and other marine species ingesting plastics. 'Who really knows how marine life or the ocean itself has been affected? Eventually, the livelihood of fishermen will be affected,' Mr. Sagar says. Experts and fishermen from Dhanushkodi say that unlike the affected areas in Kerala and Kanniyakumari, the Gulf of Mannar region, which encompasses a wide area of corals, should be monitored. 'Plastics may stymie the corals' Mr. Biju Kumar says that as the area hosts coral reefs, along with vital seagrass meadows and endangered species such as dugongs and sea turtles, a long-term study is indispensable for gauging the harm done to the ecosystem by the plastic pellets. The plastics depositing gradually on the polyps may destroy their growth, he says. In the absence of a mechanism to remove the plastic pellets from the coastal areas, the clean-up would be an arduous task and the only option left is to study the future impact on the marine ecosystem. 'Though immediate consumption of fish from the region would not be a cause for concern, plastic pellets, already in the form of microplastics, can be traced in organisms living in the sea,' he says. However, the Fisheries Department in Rameswaram has asked the fishermen not to use purse seine nets so as to avoid fish that could have swallowed the pellets. To assess the situation and ascertain the damage to the aquatic ecosystem in and around the Gulf of Mannar and Kanniyakumari, the Tamil Nadu government, along with the Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute (SDMRI) in Thoothukudi, has begun an environmental assessment of the coastal areas. No disturbance in water Early findings reveal no significant geochemical disturbance in water or sediment across the Kanniyakumari coast, with most physicochemical parameters and heavy metal concentrations falling within the acceptable limits. The samples collected included water, sediments, fish, and nurdles, according to sources. SEM-EDAX, a technique that combines scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis to study the morphology and elemental composition, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), a technique to identify and analyse the chemical composition of materials, have revealed that the nurdles are composed of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) plastics. 'The assessment has also revealed the presence of nurdles in six fish samples from four sites, mainly in the gills, but some in gut, and all were PP plastics,' says the report. This indicates early exposure through respiration and ingestion. The study has also revealed elevated Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) levels at select sites in the district, indicating the preliminary stage of hydrocarbon pollution linked to the oil spill. Although no immediate toxicological impact was noticed, the presence of nurdles in fish and TPH in the environment underscores the need for continued bio-monitoring, suggests the assessment done by SDMRI. A similar initial assessment was carried out by SDMRI, along with the Forest Department, on the Mandapam group of islands — Hare, Manoli, Manoliputti, Krusadai, and Shingle Islands. SDMRI director J.K. Patterson Edward says that although nurdles were found scattered along the seaward side of Hare Island on a shoreline stretch of about 2 km, no nurdle spill was found on the other four islands. Three unopened bags of nurdles were also found on Hare Island. He adds that no nurdle deposit was noted in the coral reefs and seagrass beds on any of the islands. However, when a few fish samples were examined, no traces of nurdles were found, he says. Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests, says the Collectors had been tasked with steering and monitoring the clean-up in Kanniyakumari and Ramanathapuram. 'We are in touch with the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) monitoring the direction of ocean currents. We are also in touch with our counterparts in Kerala involved in clearing up the nurdles,' she adds. A long-term environmental assessment will be done. The Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken suo motu cognisance of the shipwreck and directed the Kerala and Central Pollution Control Boards to submit detailed reports by July 23. The Principal Bench, comprising Justice Prakash Srivastava and expert member A. Senthil Vel, said the incident appeared to violate three key environmental laws: the Biological Diversity Act, 2002; the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974; and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Though the case is yet to be formally transferred to the NGT's Southern Bench, it came up for discussion there on June 10. At the hearing, Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana questioned counsel for Tamil Nadu about the action taken so far. Lack of guidelines M. Geo Damin, of Poovulagin Nanbargal, an environmental NGO, says, 'As of now, no proper SOP or guidelines have been formulated by governments across the globe. While shipwreck or other coastal accidents are mostly unavoidable, the rescue and clean-up can be more spontaneous and effective.' As technological advances can provide the direction of water currents based on wind speed and other factors, the measures to contain the spill can be done more effectively, he says. Though the government should provide compensation to members of the fishing community and the public affected by the spill, international mechanisms should be formulated to make polluters pay, he argues. He suggests simple measures — safe packaging of hazardous materials and stacking of hazardous materials at the bottom of ships — to limit the impact of accidents. (With inputs from Geetha Srimathi in Chennai.)
The Hindu
08-06-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Alappuzha coast home to 417 macrofaunal species, finds study
A comprehensive study undertaken along the Alappuzha coast has recorded 417 species of macrofauna. The research documented four species of cnidaria (jellyfish), 44 species of crustacea (brachyuran crabs, hermit crabs, shrimps, mantis shrimps and lobsters), 185 species of mollusca, seven species of echinodermata, 135 species of fishes, five species of reptiles (turtles and sea snakes), 30 species of birds (shore and sea birds), and seven species of mammals (whales and dolphins). The findings of the study, conducted by Arun C. R., research scholar at Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, and A. Biju Kumar, Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, have been published in the Zoological Survey of India journal Records of the Zoological Survey of India. Seahorse species The macrofaunal diversity of Alappuzha is dominated by mollusca (44%), fishes (32%) and crustacea (11%). The study has identified three species of seahorses- Hippocampus spinosissimus, Hippocampus trimaculatus and Hippocampus kuda- which are included in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India. The vulnerable Olive Ridley sea turtles nest on the beaches of the district, especially at Thottappally. Onboard surveys observed the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata). The shell of a vulnerable leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) was found washed ashore during the survey. Among the mammals, the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), an endangered species, was identified from video footage provided by fishers, while a Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera brydei) was identified from a specimen washed ashore on the Azheekkal beach. The research also documented the traditional environmental knowledge (TEK) of the region's marine biodiversity. This knowledge highlights the insights of Alappuzha's coastal fishers regarding marine resources, ecosystems, and the impacts of climate change on biodiversity. The study notes that fishers observe peak fish populations, particularly among pelagic species, during the monsoon season (June to September). However, the abundance of shellfish (shrimps and crabs) and squids is notably higher from September to February. By fishers It also sheds light on fish identification practices used by fishers at sea. According to the study, small fish move in shoals, colloquially called 'Polappu' or 'Paadam' by fishermen. 'They identify shoal fish by their colour and behaviour. Shoals can be discerned by observing the water's surface. The size of the bubbles provides clues about the fish species present. For instance, a shoal with small bubbles typically indicates 'mathi' (oil sardines). Red colouration in the sea may suggest the presence of sardines, anchovies, or shrimps. If it is shrimp, they may leap over the water's surface. Black patches on the water may also indicate sardines. Species differentiation based on this knowledge may be scientifically explored in collaboration with fishers,' reads the study. The study titled Documentation of Macrofaunal Biodiversity of the Coastal Waters of Alappuzha District, Kerala, and Traditional Environmental Knowledge of Marine Fishers was conducted with the financial assistance of the University of Kerala. The study will soon be published as a coffee table book and a documentary on the marine life of Alappuzha is also in the making.
