Kerala oil spill: Marine, coastal ecosystems likely to be hit, warn experts
KOCHI: The sinking of MSC ELSA 3 container ship in the Arabian Sea off Kochi's coast on Saturday will have serious ecological impact on marine and coastal ecosystems, principally fishing, experts said on Sunday.
While a lot depends on the scale of leakage carrying hazardous cargo of calcium carbide, diesel and furnace oil smothering can impact sensitive marine ecosystems, said Grinson George, director of Kochi-based Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).
'Oil smothering could threaten sensitive marine species and disrupt fishing activities, particularly affecting artisanal fishers in coastal regions.
If the spill spreads, it may harm marine productivity, especially during the monsoon — a critical period for pelagic fish breeding and growth. This could have lasting consequences for fisheries,' George said.
Monsoon typically supports high marine productivity, George said, adding that much will depend on how the ship's leakage can be contained.
A study on long-term impact of the very low sulfur fuel oil spill (VLSFO) from the site of Wakashio, a ship which sank off Mauritius in July 2020, shows contaminated sediments and mangroves.
The study was published in Elsevier's Marine Pollution Bulletin recently, three years after the sinking.
This was the world's first major spill of VLSFO since a global sulfur cap took effect from Jan 2020.
Chemical analysis in March 2023 of sediment samples collected from mangroves close to the site of Wakashio's sinking confirmed biodegradation.
The researchers have concluded that the mangroves differed in their sensitivity to oil, resulting in the more tolerant species obtaining a competitive advantage to recolonise other systems.
In such cases, it is crucial to know locations of the spilled oil and monitor such sites with health checks on mangroves and associated plants and animals.
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