A team of the Annamalai University’s Centre for Advanced Studies in Marine Biology on Sunday began research on the presence of harmful algal blooms in the Bay of Bengal along the Andhra Pradesh coast. The four-member team led by Associate Professor P. Ananda Raman has collected water samples from the deep sea near Machilipatnam for testing various water parameters and presence of algal blooms. Annamalai University is one of the universities which is involved in the research on monitoring and surveillance of harmful algal blooms in the Indian Economic Exclusive Zone. The team will also collect the water samples and study the waters of the Bay of Bengal in selected locations, including Nellore, Ongole, Visakhapatnam and Kakinda in Andhra Pradesh. The research project will be submitted to the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) by early next year. Avoid fishing in danger areas We have already completed the study on Tamil Nadu [coast], where presence of red and green algal blooms were found in the sea. The presence of harmful algal blooms were also recorded in Kerala, Mr. Ananda Raman told The Hindu . Interacting with fisher folk engaged in fishing in the Bay of Bengal, Mr. Ananda Raman had advised them to not to catch the fish whenever they found blue or green algal blooms in the sea. The algal bloom survives only for three days. The fishermen have confirmed the presence of the harmful algal blooms in the Bay of Bengal as they witnessed change of sea water colour into red many times. The fishermen were requested to inform the presence of harmful algal blooms in the sea water to the Machilipatnam-based M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation authorities for further study. Mass fish mortality He said that the presence of harmful algal would cause mass fish mortality. It was proven that there were more chances of acquiring diseases and serious ailments, including paralytic stroke, if fish caught in the algal bloom area was consumed. M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation Research Project Coordinator Rama Subrahmanyam, Annamalai University research scholars Aarthi, Suresh and Thanappan were also involved in the study. Lake closed in Utah Meanwhile, there are reports in the media that the Utah Lake in the U.S. has been closed down this week for the public due to high levels of concentration in the algal bloom. It was feared that it would pose serious health risks. The lake will be closed to people and animals until it is pronounced safe.
2016, The Hindu