Marine Debris Damaging Coral Reefs: NIO Scientist

BANGALORE: The increasing amount of marine debris like plastic, glass, rubber and others break or damage reef, a senior scientist said.

“Marine debris like plastic, glass, metal, rubber abandoned fishing nets and other gear often get entangle and kill reef organisms and break or damage them,” said Dr. Mahua Saha, senior Scientist from National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) addressing representatives of SAARC nations during a workshop held at Port Blair, Andaman.

She said the reefs in North-western Hawaiian Islands are particularly prone to accumulation of marine debris because of their central location in the North Pacific Gyre.

“From 2000 to 2006, NOAA and partners removed over 500 tons of marine debris there,” Dr. Saha added.

The workshop was organised by NIO for SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre.

The policy makers from four SAARC countries — India, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka — participated in the event.

Dr. Saha said that the increasing level of marine pollution is playing an important role in coral destruction.

“Reefs in close proximity to human populations are subject to poor water quality from land and marine-based sources. In 2006, studies suggested that approximately 80 per cent of ocean pollution originates from activities on land,” she said.

“Major part of pollution comes from land-based run off, oil spills, nutrients and pesticides from agriculture, wastewater, industrial effluent, untreated sewage and others.”