ENVIRONMENTAL
AND GEOGRAPHICAL EFFECTS:
2. Immense damage to ecology feared in Andamans , The Hindu dated 3/1/05 3. `Tsunami has not affected marine life', Deccan Herald dated 3/1/05. The mystery of the sea or ocean was that it would never retain any dead bodies or carcasses for more than 24 hours, and would automatically spew them and wash them ashore. But in the tsunami-hit areas, nothing of the sort was noticed and therefore, it could be presumed that the marine life had not suffered damage. 4. Coral reefs in the Andamans suffer extensive damage, Deccan Herald dated 5/1/05 The coral reefs along the coast of the Andaman Islands are about 1000 years old and could not withstand the tsunami. 5.
Ecological resources damaged in tsunami-hit regions:Report, Business Line
dated 8/1/05 Australian National University scientists said hyper-sensitive gravity measuring equipment showed minute reverberations may continue for weeks. 7. Marine biologists still in the dark, The Hindu dated 12/1/05 Ocean scientists and marine biologists are completely in the dark whether the tsunami has created any change in deep-water marine life and in the chemical and physical composition of the sea.
This assessment would be completed by March 6.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The killer waves have exposed the fragility of the coastal areas. But it does not require a tsunami to wreak massive destruction in these areas. Apparently innocuous activities, especially tourism, are inflicting serious ecological and social damage. A study, `Adversities of coastal tourism - A quantitative approach', which was presented here on Monday, said that the coastal tourism had environmental, ecological, social and cultural implications. The study was presented by commerce lecturer Jacob Thomas as part of an International Conference on Tourism organised by the Kerala University Department of Commerce and Alumni Association at the Mascot Hotel. The study noted that the major changes caused by the wayward ways of coastal tourism were the changes in the land use pattern and destruction of marine resources. The former had scuttled the ecological balance and the latter had badly affected the composition of food chain in the ecology. The unbridled growth of tourism had also led to floods and the sedimentation in the natural harbours. It said that the `resort development' trend was the main culprit. The mushrooming of resorts along the coastal areas had led to the destruction of shorebird habitats, depletion of fisheries, erosion of swimming beaches, poisoning of coral reefs and pollution of harbours. The conversion of mangrove wetlands for construction purposes had changed the environment. The study said that the coastal regions, the community in particular, had to pay the price for the leisure activities of tourists. Motor boating and yachting caused physical damage from anchorings and boat groundings. Scuba diving caused breakage and lesions. The collection of shells, lobsters, conch and coral threatened the survival of rare species. The preferences of tourists too had their adverse effects. The study said the Westerners were always on the lookout for under-developed coastal strips. As a result, more and more virgin beaches and coastal regions were falling prey to the rapaciousness of tourism, it said. 2.
Immense damage to ecology feared in Andamans , The Hindu dated 3/1/05 * Earthquakes below or near ocean floors, landslides, volcanic eruptions, explosions, the impact of cosmic bodies like meteorites can cause tsunamis * The earthquake off the Indonesian coast heaved the ocean floor to create waves travelling at 750-800 km/hr in all directions * A tsunami approaches shallow waters off the shore with tremendous energy * As its coastline speed slows to 50-60 km/hr in shallow waters its height grows into a wall of water 10 to 30 m high * Tsunamis, or tidal waves can strike 10-20 minutes apart.
4. Coral reefs in the Andamans suffer extensive damage, Deccan Herald dated 5/1/05 The coral reefs along the coast of the Andaman islands are about 1000 years old and could not withstand the tsunami. BY
PRASANTA PAUL, Deccan Herald, KOLKATA: Besides being perpetual soil binders, coral reefs were a major tourist attraction. Scuba diving in the ocean to get a closer glimpse of the coral reef was a popular sport. Marine biologists have appealed to the administration to issue an immediate order banning tourists from any sort of exploration in the area housing the coral reefs, as it has been observed from satellite pictures that more than 45 per cent of the reef has been destroyed. And the surviving reefs have suffered extensive damage from the impact of the debris that was washed into the sea from the islands. Scientists say that the it will take 700 to 800 years for the soft coral to rejuvenate. According
to ZSI joint director of Andamans Mr D K Shastri, a full ZSI team will
be pressed into service for a detailed under sea investigation once the
aid workers and the integrated Relief Command conclude their task of rehabilitation.
A team of trained ZSI divers will be dispatched to the affected region
to videograph the existing structure of coral reef from several angles
to facilitate a detailed study. Earlier studies of the reef in the Andamans have revealed that the coral reefs are of the fringing type, lying just off the coastline. This is why marine biologists feel that chances of survival of the coastal reef are bleak. A senior scientist working with the Jadavpur University's School of Oceanographic & Environmental Studies which has been monitoring damage to the reef, feels that physical verification of the damage could lead to a worse discovery. “It could be more than what the satellite pictures have shown,” he said. Unlike other parts of the world where coral reefs are nearly million years old and extremely sturdy, the reefs off the islands along the coast of Andamans, are relatively new (about one thousand years old) and of the estimated 316 species that the archipelago has to offer, the unique ones could have become extinct, because of the tsunami waves.
6.
'Earth still ringing like a bell after Indian Ocean quake', The New Indian
Express dated 10/1/05 Australian National University scientists said hyper-sensitive gravity measuring equipment showed minute reverberations may continue for weeks. Herb McQueen, from the university's Earth Sciences Research School, said the equipment at the Mount Stromlo observatory in Canberra showed the planet was "ringing like a bell" which had been forcefully struck. He said the movement was imperceptible to all but the most sensitive equipment. "(It) corresponds to about a millimetre of vertical motion of the earth," he said. "The early signals were much stronger." McQueen said it was a rare seismic event, picked up by the observatory's machines, which are normally used to map the structure of the planet's interior. Immediately
after quake, which measured 9.0 on the Richter scale, US geophysicists
said it made the Earth wobble on its axis and permanently altered the
map of Asia by moving some small islands up to 20 metres. 7.
Marine biologists still in the dark, The Hindu dated 12/1/05 Ocean scientists and marine biologists are completely in the dark whether the tsunami has created any change in deep-water marine life and in the chemical and physical composition of the sea. However, investigation is on. Fishery and Oceanographic Research vessels of the Department of Ocean Development–Sagar Sampada and Sagar Kanya–, research vessels of the Fisheries Survey of India and other agencies are already doing rounds of the Indian Ocean. ‘‘Has the tsunami brought any qualitative change in the sea? Has the churning of the sea brought out nutrients settled in the bottom? These are some of the main questions that will be investigated,’’ said a senior official at the Department of Ocean Development. The Sagar Kanya that is currently at the lowermost portion of the South of Chennai will take sonar images and also collect samples to understand changes in the ‘‘chemical oceanography.’’ The Sagar Sampada is equipped to study biological material. The scientists from various agencies across the nation are also busily testing mud and water samples to study changes in the constituency. The scientists are baffled as large-scale mortality of marine-life or carcasses of fish coming to the shore have been almost unreported after the tsunami.‘‘There have been no carcasses washed ashore. But it has to be investigated if there has been any mortality in the deep-waters,’’ the officer said.The nutrient level in the sea normally increases after a cyclone as there is increased water flow into the sea. UNPRECEDENTED ACTIVITY: In October 2004, a field officer at Cuddalore working for the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute had reported that a species of fish found only in deep-waters had been caught by fishermen in shallow waters and this could be a warning for the onset of a natural calamity. The ‘Red Bait’ or ‘Aranaival’ fish had started coming out of its ‘home’. ‘‘The officer said that the fish normally changed its inhabitation only when the seas experienced turbulence, which had been reported before in 1977, 1979, 1987 and 1996,’’ said Mohammed Qasim, scientist-in-charge of the (CMFRI). The field scientist had said in the report that it was to be noted that in all these years some sort of natural calamity had struck, including a ‘phsunami’ (tsunami) in Japan and cyclones in the Bay of Bengal. 8. Govt to assess ecological and geomorphological damage, uniindia.com dated 14/1/05 New Delhi, Jan 14 (UNI) The Central Government has decided to carry out assessment of the ecological and geomorphological damage caused by the tsunami in various areas of the country. The giant killer waves not only caused destruction of life and property but also serious damage to the coastal ecological resources, Ministry of Environment and Forests sources said today. Besides, the coastal communities were directly or indirectly dependent upon these coastal resources for their livelihood, they added. ''A high level meeting was held on January 5 to take stock of the damage caused to the ecological and geomophological features in the coastal and marine areas. It was decided that the assessment of the damages caused by the tsunami would be carried out in two phases.'' In the first phase, a rapid assessment based on satellite imageries would be done by scientific institutions such as Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad, Institute for Ocean Management, Chennai, Centre for Earth Science Studies, Trivandrum, Centre for Advance Marine Studies Chidambaram, Zoological Survey of India, Botanical Survey of India and Forest Survey of India. This assessment would be completed by March 6, sources said. Based on the rapid assessment studies, a detailed programme would be worked out for evaluation of coastal ecological resources, which were important for livelihood and/or coastal protection, and which have suffered long-term damage and the ways the damage could be remedied, they added. ''This detailed valuation will lead to an Action Plan for restoration of the ecological and geomorphological features.'' Apart from this, the ministry had also initiated several proactive measures in protecting the coastal areas by programmes such as mangrove development schemes, coral reefs protection measures and shelter bed plantation along the coastal areas, sources said. ''About 35 potential mangrove plantation areas and four coral reef areas have been identified for conservation and management and financial assistance of Rs 4.5 crores annually was being provided to the concerned State Governments.'' During the year 2002-2003 an area of about 3,500 was afforested with mangroves, they added. |