Ecotine is a protein molecule that naturally occurs in bacteria that are extremely or moderately halophilic or salt-solving. They serve as a protective substance in bacterial cells. They help protect the microorganisms from extreme environmental conditions like high salinity, pressure, heat or aridity stress, and UV-radiation.

A team of scientists from NIOT, Port Blair, identified a halophilic bacteria, Bacillus clausii NIOT-DSB04 while analysing sediment samples collected from deep sea (at a depth of 1,840 metres) near Barren Island in the Andaman and Nicobar region during a cruise conducted by the Ministry’s Ocean Research Vessel `SagarManjusha’. They found it had ecotine molecules. They further developed a recombinant DNA technology method to optimise its production.

Ectoine has applications in dermo-pharmacy and the medical field.In the dermopharmacyindustry, ectoine and its derivatives are used as a major ingredient in moisturizers, UV protection creams, and as a freeze-stabilizing agent for enzymes. It accelerates the production of heat shock proteins by the skin and protects the skin cells from environmental effects such as dryness and UV radiation. Ectoine is mainly used in sun protection, moisture protection, and anti-aging creams.

In the medical field, it helps stabilize Langerhans’ cells of the skin, by preventing the entry of harmful microorganisms and allergens. It intensively assists the moisture retention of the skin by protecting the hydrolipid system. Further, it encourages the regeneration processes of the skin, maintains the vitality of the skin cells, supports the skin’s immune system, and protects the cell structures of the human skin and their genetic material.

The study team was led by Dr. L. Anburajan and Dr. B. Meena and included Dr. N. V. Vinithkumar, Dr. R. Kirubagaran and Dr. G. Dharani. They published a report on their work in Elsevier’s Microbial Pathogenesis journal.

The researchers noted, “So far, Ecotine has been imported. Now, with the development of our technology and its transfer for commercial production, it would be available to the domestic industry with greater ease”.

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keywords:National Institute of Ocean Technology, NIOT, Cosmos Biotech LLP, Ecotine, skin care, sun protection, protein, bacteria, halophilic, salinity, pressure, heat, aridity, UV-radiation, deep sea, Barren Island, Andaman and Nicobar, recombinant DNA technology.(India Science Wire)

The customized demand driven convergent water solution through FO will supply two litres of good quality drinking water per person per day for 10,000 people in the village, successfully overcoming a major drinking water shortage in the village. The FO system facilitates high recovery, low energy consumption, potential for resource recovery, especially in solutions of high osmotic pressure, less fouling of the membrane because of low pressure operation, easier and more effective cleaning of the membrane, longer membrane life and lower operating costs.

Tamil Nadu IIT Madras in collaboration with Empereal – KGDS Renewable Energy have successfully established and demonstrated this system to address prevalent and emerging water challenges in Mission Mode in the village.

Ramanathapuram District, situated in the South-East corner of Tamil Nadu, is severely affected by scarcity of potable water due to salinity, brackishness and also poor sources of ground water. The district of 423000 hectares has a long coastal line measuring about 265 kilometres accounting for nearly 1/4th of the total length of the coastal line of the state.

The Water Technology Initiative, Department of Science & Technology (DST) has supported this field based effort in the district through the consortium members led by Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), KGiSL Institute of Technology (KITE), Empereal– KGDS Renewable Energy (P) and ICT Mumbai.

LFR based Solar Thermal System     Solar hot water system installed at Narippaiyur Village, Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu

The sea water FO technology operates at near 2 bar pressure unlike sea water RO that operates at 50 bar pressure. It is versatile, has high energy efficiency and low operation and maintenance costs compared to other technologies.

The produced water will be supplied to the local people with the support of villagers and panchayat. This initiative of DST can pave way for scaling up the emerging technology in various coastal rural areas of the country to address drinking water shortage.

Marine geohazards take place when the seafloor is unstable and is not able to withstand the transport processes of marine sediments from landwards deep into the ocean bottom. In such a situation, placement of drilling rigs becomes hazardous due to instability of the seabed.

While understanding marine sediments’ interaction during their flow over the seabed is crucial to detect triggers of marine hazards like landslides, associated morphological investigation is a very challenging task, and geophysical/seismic prospecting methods are essential for it.

Scientists from Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, and scientists from Norway and Switzerland used high-resolution 3D seismic data to unravel geomorphology of recurrent cases of movement of soil, sand, regolith, and rock downslope like a solid in Taranaki basin off New Zealand.  This is technically called mass wasting of sediments.  The study led by Prof. Kalachand Sain was published in the journal ‘Basin Research’.

With the help of 3D seismic data, the study offers a unique approach to comprehend the recurrent mass wasting processes and also understand how the seabed interacts with the bottom surface of marine sediments. The geological period between 23.03 and 2.5 Million years ago called Neogene succession preserves vertical stacks of mass transport deposits (MTDs) from the Miocene to Pliocene — different epochs that fall within the Neogene geological period. The Miocene (23.03 to 5.33 Mn years ago) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene period and towards the end of this epoch starts the Pliocene epoch (5.33 to 2.5 Mn years ago. The study shows that the mass transport deposits are characterized into blocky-MTDs consisting of moderate to high amplitude, variably deformed rafted blocks, and chaotic masses composed of slides and debris flow deposits indicating a disturbed marine environment.

The study will help understand different flow mechanisms associated with sediment movement over the seafloor. It will also shed light on several flow indicators that define the dynamics of the sediment mass movement or the dominant transport directions and mechanism of the mass flow. Understanding of these phenomena can help apprehend precursors of marine geohazards or the nature and physiography of the seafloor over which sediments can move.  According to WIHG team, similar geomorphological exercises can be extended to Indian and global marine sedimentary basins.

The estimated cost of the Missionwill be Rs. 4077 crore for a period of 5 years to be implemented in a phase-wise manner. The estimated cost for the first phase for the 3 years (2021-2024) would be Rs.2823.4 crore. Deep Ocean Mission with be a mission mode project to support the Blue Economy Initiatives of the Government of India. Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) will be the nodal Ministry implementing this multi-institutional ambitious mission.

The Deep Ocean Mission consists of the following six major components:

1. Development of Technologies for Deep Sea Mining, and Manned Submersible: A manned submersible will be developed to carry three people to a depth of 6000 metres in the ocean with suite of scientific sensors and tools. Only a very few countries have acquired this capability. An Integrated Mining System will be also developed for mining Polymetallic Nodules from 6000 m depth in the central Indian Ocean. The exploration studies of minerals will pave way for the commercial exploitation in the near future, as and when commercial exploitation code is evolved by the International Seabed Authority, an UN organization. This component will help the Blue Economy priority area of exploring and harnessing of deep sea minerals and energy.
2. Development of Ocean Climate Change Advisory Services: A suite of observations and models will be developed to understand and provide future projections of important climate variables on seasonal to decadal time scales under this proof of concept component. This component will support the Blue Economy priority area of coastal tourism.
3. Technological innovations for exploration and conservation of deep-sea biodiversity: Bio-prospecting of deep sea flora and fauna including microbes and studies on sustainable utilization of deep sea bio-resources will be the main focus. This component will support the Blue Economy priority area of Marine Fisheries and allied services.
4. Deep Ocean Survey and Exploration: The primary objective of this component is to explore and identify potential sites of multi-metal Hydrothermal Sulphides mineralization along the Indian Ocean mid-oceanic ridges. This component will additionally support the Blue Economy priority area of deep sea exploration of ocean resources.
5. Energy and freshwater from the Ocean: Studies and detailed engineering design for offshore Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) powered desalination plant are envisaged in this proof of concept proposal. This component will support the Blue Economy priority area of off-shore energy development.
6. Advanced Marine Station for Ocean Biology. This component is aimed as development of human capacity and enterprise in ocean biology and engineering. This component will translate research into industrial application and product development through on-site business incubator facilities. This component will support the Blue Economy priority area of Marine Biology, Blue trade and Blue manufacturing.

The technologies required for deep sea mining have strategic implications and are not commercially available. Hence, attempts will be made to indigenise technologies by collaborating with leading institutes and private industries. A research vessel for deep ocean exploration would be built in an Indian shipyard which would create employment opportunities. This mission is also directed towards capacity development in Marine Biology, which will provide job opportunities in Indian industries. In addition, design, development and fabrication of specialised equipment, ships and setting up of required infrastructure are expected to spur the growth of the Indian industry, especially the MSME and Start-ups.

Oceans, which cover 70 per cent of the globe, remain a key part of our life. About 95 percent of Deep Ocean remains unexplored. For India, with its three sides surrounded by the oceans and around 30 per cent of the country’s population living in coastal areas, ocean is a major economic factor supporting fisheries and aquaculture, tourism, livelihoods and blue trade. Oceans are also storehouse of food, energy, minerals, medicines, modulator of weather and climate and underpin life on Earth. Considering importance of the oceans on sustainability, the United Nations (UN) has declared the decade, 2021-2030 as the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. India has a unique maritime position. Its 7517 km long coastline is home to nine coastal states and 1382 islands. The Government of India’s Vision of New India by 2030 enunciated in February 2019 highlighted the Blue Economy as one of the ten core dimensions of growth.

Early detection of Tropical cyclones has wide socio-economic implications. So far, remote sensing techniques have detected them the earliest. However, this detection was possible only after system developed as a well-marked low-pressure system over the warm ocean surface. A larger time gap between the detection and the impact of the cyclone could help preparation activities.

Prior to the formation of cyclonic system over the warm oceanic environment, the initial atmospheric instability mechanism, as well as the vortex development, is triggered at higher atmospheric levels. These cyclonic eddies are prominent features in the vertical atmospheric column encompassing the disturbance environment with a potential to induce and develop into a well-marked cyclonic depression over the warm ocean surface. They could be used for detection of prediction of cyclones

A team of Scientists including Jiya Albert, Bishnupriya Sahoo, and Prasad K. Bhaskaran from IIT Kharagpur, with support from the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India under the Climate Change Programme (CCP), devised a novel method using Eddy detection technique to investigate the formative stages and advance detection time of tropical cyclogenesis in the North Indian Ocean region. The research was published in the journal ‘Atmospheric Research’ recently.

The method developed by the scientists’ aims to identify initial traces of pre-cyclonic eddy vortices in the atmospheric column and track its Spatio-temporal evolution. They used coarser grid resolution of 27 km for identification and finer resolution of 9 km to evaluate the characteristics of eddy vortices. The study was conducted with cases of four post-monsoon severe cyclones –Phailin (2013), Vardah (2013), Gaja (2018), Madi (2013), and two pre-monsoon cyclones Mora (2017) and Aila (2009) that developed over North Indian Ocean.

The team observed that the method could bring about genesis of prediction with a minimum of four days (~ 90 h) lead time for cyclones developed during the pre-and post-monsoon seasons. Initiation mechanisms of genesis of tropical cyclones occurs at upper atmospheric levels and are also detected at higher lead time for pre-monsoon cases, unlike the post-monsoon cases. The study made a comprehensive investigation on the behavior of eddies in an atmospheric column for non-developing cases and compared these findings with developing cases.

The technique was found to have potential for early detection of tropical cyclogenesis in the atmospheric column prior to satellite detection over ocean surface.

Figure: Hovmöller diagram representing the shear and vorticity components of Okubo-Weiss Zeta Parameter (OWZP) for cyclones (a) Phailin, (b) Vardah, (c) Gaja, and (d) Madi corresponding to inner domain (9 km resolution). Blue marker represents atmospheric pre-cyclonic eddies detection using OWZP technique, and the red marker represents satellite detection of low-pressure over warm ocean surface.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Govt.of India, will implement the programme through its National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR). MSP is globally identified as a tool for sustainable and integrated ocean management. In its primary phase, NCCR will develop a marine spatial planning framework for Puducherry and Lakshadweep.

These sites have been chosen for the pilot project in view of their setups with unique growth opportunities for multiple sectors such as industries, fisheries, and tourism. The Government of India’s initial investments for undertaking the studies and planning are estimated to be around Rs. 8-10 crores per annum. The framework developed for the two sites will be replicated in other coastal regions of the country in due course.

Announcing this, an official press release noted that the World Bank and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have expressed interest in supporting the programme as it will have immense societal benefits for India’s coastal regions.

NCCR had earlier developed coastal management plans for Chennai, Goa, and Gulf of Kutch which proved very successful. Now, the MSP initiative will aid the development of multiple economic sectors and stakeholders in the coastal areas of the country.

The first project steering committee meeting for the programme was conducted with representatives from both countries recently. As a follow up, the two countries have charted out a plan to ensure that human activities at sea take place in an efficient, safe, and sustainable manner in areas such as energy, transportation, fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism.

The meeting was attended by representatives from other stakeholder ministries – Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change; Ministry of External Affairs; Ministry of Shipping; Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying; Ministry of Tourism; and state governments of Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep, besides MoES.

The Government of India’s vision of New India by 2030 highlights the` blue economy’ as one of the ten core dimensions of growth. MSP is a noted area for work in India’s draft Blue Economic Policy being developed by the MoES.

keywords:  marine spatial planning, Ocean, MoES, National Centre for Coastal Research, NCCR, pilot, industries, fisheries, tourism, framework, sustainable, World Bank, United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, Chennai, Goa, Gulf of Kachchh, energy, transportation, aquaculture, blue economy, growth.  (India Science Wire)

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Keywords: MoES, National Centre for Coastal Research, NCCR, Ocean Management, Puducherry, Lakshadweep.

In this integrated study involving observation of critical bio-lethal parameters coupled with a bio-assay of the black clams, sensitive information could be obtained by the scientists. Results of the study revealed that information on sublethal exposure of metal lead (Pb) and its toxic effects on the black clam is an important precursor to assess pollution in a marine environment. The study also helped them to make a reliable risk assessment of other aquatic lives for enforcing stringent water quality management practices.

The study showed that there was significantly higher pollution of heavy metals in the northern parts of the estuarine system water sample of the southwest coast of India during pre-monsoon, followed by monsoon and post-monsoon, except for lead and nickel. The research revealed that the alterations in antioxidant enzyme activities in black clams may lead to biochemical enescence. The utility of the study of cellular,physiological, biochemical, and histo-pathological biomarker responses was established in the study that can be used to monitor aqueous contamination of heavy metal.

The study found a significant increase in the concentration of leads (Pb) in the bodies of clams after chronic exposure. Even a small concentration of lead in the estuary can lead to many-fold increase in its concentration in black clams which may damage the genetic materials, proteins and lipid and lead to health risks to other marine organisms including humans consuming them.

As per researchers,metal concentration was found to be higher in these diment during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon periods,except for lead and nickel in the estuary which might be due to the weaker flushing leading to the entrapment of metals in the sediment. Over a longer period,they can therefore help prevent the spread of harmful metal sediments into waterways used by local communities.A reduced discharge from the Periyar River was observed during the study, which may also lead to the increasing concentration of metals during pre-monsoon in the sediment.

The researchers of this study affiliated with the National Center for Coastal Research (NCCR),Chennai and Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Kerala, found a direct correlation between the degree of industrialization and contamination of the Cochin Estuarine System (CES) of India’s south west coast by heavy metals leading to metabolic stress in blackclams.

In this study, researchers used blackclams Villoritacyprinoides transplanted from relatively clean waters of the Cochin Estuarine System to assess lead (Pb) metal concentration at a coastal area of Cochin on the southwest coast of India. It is an industrially active zone along with CES on the bank of the Periyar river which releases nearly 0.105 million m3/day of effluents affecting aquaticorganisms and ecosystems. The research findings are published in the journal of Environmental Science and Pollution Research.

Human health is threatened due to exposure to heavy metals like lead, cadmium,and mercury as these metals accumulate in the original food chain moving up through higher trophic levels with negative effects on marine resources. Therefore, researchers propose that this evidence should be used as an input for public policy decisions to reduce the effects of human activities on coastal and marine ecosystems.

Led by S. Bijoy Nandan,the research team comprised of K.V. Neethu, N.D. Don Xavier, P.R. Jayachandran, P.R Anu, and A.M Midhun of Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology & Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences, CUSAT, Cochin,D. Mohan, S.R.Marigoudar NCCR, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Chennai