The oceans play a vital role in maintaining the balance of nature on our planet. They are part of the ecosystem and maintaining their health is important and everyone has a role to play in it.
This was the opinion of all the experts and scientists who attended the one-day workshop on ‘Swachh Sagar- Surakshit Sagar’ (clean coast- safe sea), organised by the Department of Science and Technology- Prasar Vignan, the ScoPE- Telugu of NIT- Warangal and Department of Oceanography and Meteorology- Andhra University, here on Friday.
Delivering the inaugural address, Andhra University Vice-Chancellor P.V.G.D. Prasad Reddy said that everyone should contribute their mite for the protection of the oceans. He urged the students from the department to think innovatively in creating awareness on the protection of the oceans.
“You can collaborate with the students of computer science or the startups who are going to set up their shop at the AU Engineering College in developing a game, which would create awareness among the youngsters on protection of the oceans,” he suggested.
Addressing the gathering, T.V.S. Udaya Bhaskar, scientist INCOIS- Hyderabad, said that the world is already experiencing climate change and it is having an impact on the oceans and on their habitat.
“Due to climate change we are experiencing more intense cyclones and the development of intensity of the cyclones are very rapid. In the recent cyclone over the Bay of Bengal, the intensity picked up within just 18 hours and this because of the marine heatwaves,” he said.
“Marine heatwaves are similar to the urban heat islands, where in a particular region the heat is more than the surrounding environment and this is a phenomenon associated with climate change,” he said.
He also pointed out that unhindered flow of plastic into the sea is affecting marine life and the ecosystem under the water. “There are studies that indicate the presence of micro plastic in human blood stream, which have come due to consumption of fish,” he said.
Plastic pollution
Oceans are the largest carbon sinks and due to plastic pollution, the oxygen production is coming down, which can turn the oceans acidic in the future, if plastic pollution goes unchecked, he said.
T.V. Venkateswaran, scientist Vignan Prasar, in his address, said that due to climate change, the cyclones over the Bay of Bengal have become more severe and intense and the frequency has increased over the Arabian Sea.
“Fish are now found with micro plastic and will definitely affect human health. And that is why we need to focus on the oceans now,” he said.
Nakul Parashar, Director of Vignan Prasar, spoke about the role of Vignan Prasar, and how it intends to clean up 75 beaches, as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. “Visakhapatnam is one of the identified 75 beaches and the programme will culminate on September 17, with the Prime Minister visiting the beaches in Mumbai,”
K. Laxma Reddy, principal investigator, ScoPE NIT- Warangal, spoke about Vignan Prasar’s initiative of taking science to the students in their mother tongue and the role of NIT in doing so.
C.V. Naidu, Head of the Department of Oceanography and Meteorology, AU, A. Ramachandraiah, Coordinator, ScoPE and B.S. R. Reddy, AU (Retd), spoke.
