Plastic debris a threat to marine life along Goa's coast

PANAJI: Marine organisms along Goa's shoreline are facing a threat from the huge plastic debris that gets washed ashore during the monsoon season, says a study by National Institute of Oceanography (NIO).

A research paper recently published by a team of Goa-based NIO scientists and researchers says "plastic coupled with accidental spills from vessels during their transport through shipping routes, is posing a bigger challenge to coastal environment".

The NIO has come to this conclusion after studying six beaches in the state.


"The onshore plastic, plastic debris moved in during the monsoon season and ocean-based sources, may lead to major threat to marine organisms," said the paper 'Characteristics, seasonal distribution and surface degradation features of microplastic pellets (MPPs) along the Goa Coast'.

The research also speaks about the threat through MPPs usually spilled over from ships that pass through Goa's coast.

"Microplastic pellets are ubiquitous contaminants, recognised as a serious threat to the coastal, estuarine and marine environment," the research said.

The scientists have studied the distribution, abundance, weathering and chemical characteristics of MPPs on the beaches of Goa, and its transport to the coast during the southwest monsoon.

The team, which made several visits to the state's beaches armed with research tools, collected MPPs from six famous tropical beaches along the Goa coast during the northeast in January 2015 and southwest in June 2015 monsoon seasons.

The beaches of Keri, Vagator and Calangute in North Goa and Colva, Mobor and Galgibag in South Goa were studied.