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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
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					<title>A world of bristles beneath the waves</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/a-world-of-bristles-beneath-the-waves/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/a-world-of-bristles-beneath-the-waves/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Sep 2026 17:06:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nikhil Sreekandan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shrimp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shrimp farming]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/01143225/Amphinomids-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40603</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Conservation, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Environment, Fish, Fishing, Oceans, Overfishing, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Polychaete worms are among the most diverse groups of marine invertebrates on Earth. According to the World Register of Marine Species, approximately 13,148 valid polychaete species are currently recognised. Some researchers even estimate that this number could rise to 16,700 by the end of the century. “They (polychaete worms) occur in almost all marine habitats, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Polychaete worms are among the most diverse groups of marine invertebrates on Earth. According to the World Register of Marine Species, approximately 13,148 valid polychaete species are currently recognised. Some researchers even estimate that this number could rise to 16,700 by the end of the century. “They (polychaete worms) occur in almost all marine habitats, from estuaries, mangroves, sandy shores, coral reefs, and seagrass beds to the continental shelf and deeper waters,” said Sanitha Sivadas, a marine benthic ecology expert and Scientist E at the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), Visakhapatnam. “A small percentage of polychaete species have even adapted to low-salinity and inland water environments,” Sivadas added. Polychaeta, Greek for “having much hair”, refers to the bristles on the fleshy, leg-like protrusions on their body, which also lends them their other name, bristle worms. These worms range in size from a few millimetres to more than a metre long and come in colours ranging from dull brown to neon yellow and orange-red. In India, despite their vast diversity, polychaete worms remain understudied. Mongabay-India spoke to polychaete experts and taxonomists to learn more about the bright, bristly worms of our seas. India’s underexplored diversity With its extensive coastline and diverse coastal and marine habitats, India is home to a huge diversity of polychaete worms, said Sivadas. “[But] the current recorded [polychaete] diversity represents only a part of the actual diversity in Indian waters,” she added. Pierre Fauvel laid the foundation for documenting India’s polychaete fauna. The well-known French polychaetologist’s&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/a-world-of-bristles-beneath-the-waves/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>How are degraded coral reefs restored in India? [Explainer]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/how-are-degraded-coral-reefs-restored-in-india-explainer/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/how-are-degraded-coral-reefs-restored-in-india-explainer/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 May 2026 14:57:11 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Neha Jain]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Artificial reefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restoration]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/25140628/Coral-Garden-nursery-tables-at-Mithapur-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38349</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas, Climate Connections, and Environment Explained]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Oceans, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Coral reefs, often called the rainforests of the sea, are among the most productive and vibrant ecosystems on earth. Despite occupying less than 1% of the sea floor, they harbour over 25% of all marine species, including fish, lobsters, clams, seahorses, sponges and sea turtles. Reefs form over thousands of years as coral polyps, the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Coral reefs, often called the rainforests of the sea, are among the most productive and vibrant ecosystems on earth. Despite occupying less than 1% of the sea floor, they harbour over 25% of all marine species, including fish, lobsters, clams, seahorses, sponges and sea turtles. Reefs form over thousands of years as coral polyps, the tiny marine animals that make up hard or stony corals that attach to hard surfaces such as submerged rocks and secrete calcium carbonate (limestone), creating rigid, protective skeletons. Since the 1950s, the world&#8217;s living corals and their capacity to provide ecosystem services have declined by half. Climate change, which has led to rising ocean temperatures and acidification is one of the major threats to corals. Local, human-driven causes impacting coral reefs include pollution from land, unsustainable and destructive fishing practices, coastal development and sedimentation, unsustainable tourism and boating, as well as environmental threats such as disease and predator outbreaks. Coral restoration, introduced in the 1970s, is an active, human-led process aimed at rebuilding and accelerating the recovery of damaged or degraded reefs. This is achieved by growing corals underwater or in land-based nurseries, then transplanting them back into the seabed using adhesives such as cement. The goals of coral restoration are to enhance reef resilience to future stresses, restore biodiversity, protect coral genetic diversity, and sustain ecosystem services such as coastal protection and tourism. The Mithapur Coral Reef Recovery Project has installed 2,310 artificial reefs, supported by 57 coral garden nurseries, where corals are nurtured&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/how-are-degraded-coral-reefs-restored-in-india-explainer/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Study identifies a previously unknown climate rhythm shaping the tropics</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/study-identifies-a-previously-unknown-climate-rhythm-shaping-the-tropics/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/study-identifies-a-previously-unknown-climate-rhythm-shaping-the-tropics/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Jan 2026 11:14:14 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Debdutta Paul]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erratic weather]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heat wave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heavy rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[temperature rise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weather]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Weather patterns]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/27010529/AP21139114004191-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36628</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Climate Science, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Global Warming, and Monsoons]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Scientists analysing two decades of satellite observations and global weather reanalysis data have uncovered a previously overlooked rhythm in the tropical climate system. Jiawei Bao, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Austria, and his collaborators have identified a naturally recurring weather pattern that they call the Tropics-Wide Intraseasonal Oscillation [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Scientists analysing two decades of satellite observations and global weather reanalysis data have uncovered a previously overlooked rhythm in the tropical climate system. Jiawei Bao, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Austria, and his collaborators have identified a naturally recurring weather pattern that they call the Tropics-Wide Intraseasonal Oscillation (TWISO) which influences the tropical belt. Their study was recently published in the journal PNAS and explains how TWISO affects the weather over the Indian peninsula. A single TWISO cycle lasts about 30 to 60 days and affects the weather in the tropics, including India and the surrounding Indian Ocean. It was previously undetected because scientists do not expect a pattern that spans the entire tropical latitudes, affecting rainfall, clouds, and winds over several weeks. This finding could bridge the gap between the understanding of daily and seasonal weather patterns. Why this phenomenon remained hidden The accidental discovery of TWISO stems from an observation in 2024, when the group was studying something different. They investigated the relationship between the degree of cloud clustering over tropical latitudes and extreme rainfall events in these regions. This relationship would have enabled them to accurately predict extreme rainfall. While studying the day-to-day variations of the two parameters, they observed a striking pattern: they repeated every 30 to 60 days. They used the same data to determine that other parameters, such as sea surface temperature, atmospheric temperature, and the amount of heat exchanged by the Earth across the atmosphere, also show&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/study-identifies-a-previously-unknown-climate-rhythm-shaping-the-tropics/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Creating a blueprint for cleaner oceans</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/creating-a-blueprint-for-cleaner-oceans/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/creating-a-blueprint-for-cleaner-oceans/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Feb 2025 11:00:30 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[T. V. Padma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine plastic debris]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/02/20131131/Pollution_due_to_domestic_garbage_at_VUDA_Park_beach-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31572</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Oceans, Pollution, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Given the rapid growth rate of plastic waste generated in the country, which threatens the marine ecosystem, economy and cultural heritage, India urgently needs a national marine litter policy, scientists say. The country’s diverse coastline spanning over 7,500 kilometres, is under threat from marine litter, particularly plastics. This raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Given the rapid growth rate of plastic waste generated in the country, which threatens the marine ecosystem, economy and cultural heritage, India urgently needs a national marine litter policy, scientists say. The country’s diverse coastline spanning over 7,500 kilometres, is under threat from marine litter, particularly plastics. This raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of coastal ecosystems and the well-being of coastal communities in the countries. India, like most countries, does not have a national marine litter policy yet, but efforts are underway. In February 2024, the Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju said in a Rajya Sabha meeting that multiple initiatives, research projects, and surveys are being conducted to monitor and gain an understanding on the extent of marine litter in our country. Towards this, a team of scientists from the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, has proposed four policy options and 20 strategies to address marine litter pollution. The four targets include measures to address the land-based sources for marine litter, mitigate litter on beaches, measures to address sea-based sources of marine litter such as fishing and aquaculture, and undertake source mitigation measures. This report was published last year in the Marine Pollution Bulletin. India’s history with formulating a policy for marine litter In 2018, on World Environment Day on June 5, India committed to the UNEP&#8217;s Clean Seas campaign to raise awareness on plastic pollution and marine litter.  Given the lack of data on the volume of plastics, including microplastics,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/creating-a-blueprint-for-cleaner-oceans/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>[Explainer] What are fish refugia?</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/explainer-what-are-fish-refugia/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/explainer-what-are-fish-refugia/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Jan 2025 13:30:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oceans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[policy]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/01/24103843/2157738185_6421f00593_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31232</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environment Explained and Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Fishing and Overfishing]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The decline in fish stocks has been a global concern. Overfishing, with high catch rates that leave little time for species to replenish, threatens many marine species. In India, 4.4% of fish stocks are subject to overfishing, while 8.2% are already overfished, reveals a 2022 report from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI). As [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The decline in fish stocks has been a global concern. Overfishing, with high catch rates that leave little time for species to replenish, threatens many marine species. In India, 4.4% of fish stocks are subject to overfishing, while 8.2% are already overfished, reveals a 2022 report from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI). As part of its strategies to promote sustainable fishing and restore fish stocks, India’s 2017 National Policy on Marine Fisheries proposed establishing fish refugia. Creation of fish refugia is also mentioned in the latest (2020) draft of the National Fisheries Policy (NFP) for both marine and inland fisheries. However, currently, India has not formally established fish refugia. What are fish refugia? Fish refugia are designated areas meant to protect critical habitats and ecosystems vital for the life cycles of certain fish species. Over the last decade, fish refugia was the focus of an initiative by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) that aimed to operate and expand fish refugia as a strategy to conserve dwindling fish stocks in the South China Sea, including the Gulf of Thailand. This UNEP-led project in Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam focuses on linking fisheries management with habitat conservation. UNEP defines fish refugia as “spatially and geographically defined marine or coastal areas in which specific management measures are applied to sustain important species [fisheries resources] during critical stages of their life cycle for their sustainable use.” A blue swimming crab in the waters of Halmahera, Indonesia, which is&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/explainer-what-are-fish-refugia/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Indian taxonomist forays into the uncharted waters of meiofauna</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/indian-taxonomist-forays-into-the-uncharted-waters-of-meiofauna/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/indian-taxonomist-forays-into-the-uncharted-waters-of-meiofauna/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Jan 2025 10:29:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nikhil Sreekandan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freshwater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invertebrates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/01/15194932/DSC_0413-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31098</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species and Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Fish, Fishing, Oceans, and Rivers]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Jini Jacob has always been fond of Lilliputian life. During her school days, ants and other small insects were the subjects of her curious exploration through a hand lens. Zoology was the obvious choice in college, where powerful laboratory microscopes replaced the magnifying lens. After completing her M.Sc. in marine biology from the Cochin University [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Jini Jacob has always been fond of Lilliputian life. During her school days, ants and other small insects were the subjects of her curious exploration through a hand lens. Zoology was the obvious choice in college, where powerful laboratory microscopes replaced the magnifying lens. After completing her M.Sc. in marine biology from the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Jacob joined a research project at the university on benthic (bottom-living) fauna in the Indian Ocean. During the research, she got enraptured by the “very nice to look at” nematodes, which constitute a large share of marine meiofauna. So, when the time came to pick a topic for her Ph.D. at CUSAT, Jacob chose to study the marine free-living variety of nematodes. “When I look at them under the microscope, I am just fascinated by their appearance,” she says. Meiofauna or meiobenthos are minute invertebrates that reside at the bottom of a body of water, marine or freshwater. They are defined primarily by size and are distinguished from macrofauna by their smaller size (‘meio’ means ‘smaller’ in the Greek language), ranging from 44 to 500 µm (micrometre). All about nematodes Nematodes are ubiquitous organisms found in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. There are two types of nematodes: parasitic and free-living. In the ocean, free-living nematodes dominate a large share of meiobenthos. Abundant in sediments as smaller-sized infaunal (aquatic animals that live in the sediment at the bottom of a body of water, such as an ocean or river) feeders, free-living&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/indian-taxonomist-forays-into-the-uncharted-waters-of-meiofauna/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Storing carbon in the form of gas hydrates deep under water</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/06/storing-carbon-in-the-form-of-gas-hydrates-deep-within-the-bay-of-bengal-and-indian-ocean/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/06/storing-carbon-in-the-form-of-gas-hydrates-deep-within-the-bay-of-bengal-and-indian-ocean/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Jun 2024 15:26:53 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[T. V. Padma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[carbon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/06/19113748/4587983279_c01e1b077f_c-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=28200</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Bay of Bengal, India, and Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Carbon Sequestration and Technology]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[New research from India indicates that the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean can potentially serve as storage sinks for large amounts of carbon dioxide in the form of gas hydrates. A gas hydrate is formed when gas molecules bind with hydrogen atom to form a network of water molecules, resembling ice. Carbon can be [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[New research from India indicates that the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean can potentially serve as storage sinks for large amounts of carbon dioxide in the form of gas hydrates. A gas hydrate is formed when gas molecules bind with hydrogen atom to form a network of water molecules, resembling ice. Carbon can be permanently stored as gas hydrates in oceans beyond depths of 500 metres, according to the study by scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, in Fuel journal. Above 2,800 metres, liquid carbon dioxide is denser than seawater, and hence there is a natural gravitational barrier to its escape from water. “Thus, beyond 2,800 m. sea depth, carbon dioxide can be stored permanently in the form of liquid pool and solid hydrate,” Jitendra Sangwai, a professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT-Madras and one of the authors of the research paper, told Mongabay-India. The study focuses on the formation of carbon dioxide hydrates in bentonite clay slurry in seawater. The subsea clay sediments improve the mechanical and thermal stability of gas hydrates, which help for long-term carbon dioxide storage potential, he adds. A fishing boat in the Bay of Bengal. Carbon can be stored as gas hydrates in oceans beyond depth of 500 metres. Image by Shakil Ahmed Sarowar via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Ocean depth is key to carbon storage. Sequestration using gas hydrates is possible beyond a depth of 500 metres, but carbon&#8217;s permanent storage space in the sea lies below&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/06/storing-carbon-in-the-form-of-gas-hydrates-deep-within-the-bay-of-bengal-and-indian-ocean/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Scientists to set sail to revive Indian Ocean observations hit by COVID-19</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/scientists-to-set-sail-to-revive-indian-ocean-observations-hit-by-covid-19/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/scientists-to-set-sail-to-revive-indian-ocean-observations-hit-by-covid-19/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 May 2024 14:13:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Max Martin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COVID-19]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[INCOIS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Indian Ocean]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IndOOS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NOAA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oceans]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/05/02084337/P1030577_0-768x500.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27618</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global, India, and Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Oceans and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Disruptions in observations and equipment supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic has left critical gaps in the Indian Ocean marine observation system for storm forecasting and fisheries planning. The U.S. and India are jointly addressing the issue with a scientific voyage to revive the system. An international team, including scientists from two leading Indian institutions, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Disruptions in observations and equipment supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic has left critical gaps in the Indian Ocean marine observation system for storm forecasting and fisheries planning. The U.S. and India are jointly addressing the issue with a scientific voyage to revive the system. An international team, including scientists from two leading Indian institutions, recently highlighted the pandemic’s disruptive effects in a paper published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS). Meanwhile, in March this year, India&#8217;s Ministry of Earth Sciences secretary M. Ravichandran and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) chief Rick Spinrad discussed ways to revive the Indian Ocean Observing System (IndOOS) system. IndOOS involves a suite of in situ observation networks comprising sea surface monitoring arrays, floats, drifting buoys, tide gauges, ship-based systems and satellite observations. “During the pandemic, critical gaps appeared in the Indian Ocean marine observing system that severely limited our ability to support reliable decision and policymaking. Even now the recovery of the observing system is slow,” said Janet Sprintall, researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, who led the BAMS paper. “Ocean data provide crucial information to improve lead time for tropical cyclone forecasts and therefore guide government agencies on how to respond,” Sprintall told Mongabay-India. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) scientists play a key role in the observation system. Two of them, E. Pattabhi Rama Rao and Srinivasa Kumar Tummala, served as co-authors in the BAMS paper. An INCOIS top&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/scientists-to-set-sail-to-revive-indian-ocean-observations-hit-by-covid-19/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Analysing the history of the Indian Ocean with past cruise records and sediment cores</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/analysing-the-history-of-the-indian-ocean-with-past-cruise-records-and-sediment-cores/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/analysing-the-history-of-the-indian-ocean-with-past-cruise-records-and-sediment-cores/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Dec 2023 14:48:39 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sahana Ghosh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oceans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[paleoclimate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[research]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/12/01123100/IMG_8577-banner-reworked-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=25508</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Oceans, Research, and Technology]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Almost 150 years ago, Christmas, aboard the SMS Gazelle, a mid-sized German warship that circumnavigated the globe in the late 19th century, was a day of activity. The vessel’s naval officers and surveyors were recording temperature data in the southern Indian Ocean. Combined with cruise reports of two other German expeditions, Valdivia (1898-1899) and SMS [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Almost 150 years ago, Christmas, aboard the SMS Gazelle, a mid-sized German warship that circumnavigated the globe in the late 19th century, was a day of activity. The vessel’s naval officers and surveyors were recording temperature data in the southern Indian Ocean. Combined with cruise reports of two other German expeditions, Valdivia (1898-1899) and SMS Planet (1906-1907), the relatively lesser-known vessels yielded over 500 temperature observations in the Indian Ocean at depths spanning from the surface to the seabed. Physical oceanographer Jacob Wenegrat who analysed the subsurface temperature data of the three expeditions, says cruise reports are underutilised data sources. “These techniques have been proven with the 1870s Challenger ocean expedition’s data (that were used to infer 20th century warming and cooling in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans) and now with these German deep-sea expeditions,” he says. The SMS Planet, shown on a postcard, was a survey ship that sailed from Germany to Hong Kong from 1906 to 1907. Photo gelaufene Postkarte aus Neu-Guinea (used postcard from New Guinea/Wikimedia Commons. Wenegrat&#8217;s team digitised the data from these three expeditions, making this historical information available to other researchers trying to unravel the complexities of ocean warming. These observations provide a first look at subsurface temperature change in the Indian Ocean over the 20th century. The Indian Ocean plays a key role in influencing the Indian monsoon. The monsoon season forms the lifeline for millions of people’s water availability and agricultural activities. However, attention on the Indian Ocean has only been recent,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/analysing-the-history-of-the-indian-ocean-with-past-cruise-records-and-sediment-cores/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>European Union’s collusion with fishing lobbies is damaging the Indian Ocean tuna, say critics</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/04/european-unions-collusion-with-fishing-lobbies-is-damaging-the-indian-ocean-tuna-say-critics/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/04/european-unions-collusion-with-fishing-lobbies-is-damaging-the-indian-ocean-tuna-say-critics/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Apr 2023 13:50:06 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Malavika Vyawahare]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Nandithachandraprakash]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/04/10101119/yellowfin-tuna-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=22410</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Fish, Fishing, Industry, Oceans, and Overfishing]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[There are three commercially important tuna species in the Indian Ocean, and all of them are at risk. One of the prickliest issues for tuna fisheries in the world is the use of fish-aggregating devices, or FADs. On 5th February, countries hammered out an agreement on FADs in Mombasa, Kenya. That&#8217;s when members of the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[There are three commercially important tuna species in the Indian Ocean, and all of them are at risk. One of the prickliest issues for tuna fisheries in the world is the use of fish-aggregating devices, or FADs. On 5th February, countries hammered out an agreement on FADs in Mombasa, Kenya. That&#8217;s when members of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) agreed to reduce the number of drifting FADs and to impose three-month closures on the devices. Critics say this progress has happened despite the European Union attempting to water down ambition on critical measures aided by the vastly disproportionate negotiating muscle of its delegation to tuna talks, including numerous industry representatives. The bloc’s distant-water fishing fleet reels in the largest share of tuna in the Indian Ocean, most of it taken by massive industrial vessels that use FADs. “EU public authorities and industrial lobbies have merged into a unique body which, on top of damaging marine wildlife and ecosystems also harms developing economies in the Global South,” Frédéric Le Manach, scientific director of BLOOM Association, a French nonprofit, said n a statement. The EU has sent more lobbyists than officials to high-level tuna talks in recent years as negotiations around saving the Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna — a valuable stock perilously close to crashing — intensified, according to an investigation by BLOOM. The IOTC, an intergovernmental body responsible for managing tuna stocks, declared yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) &#8216;overfished&#8217; in 2015, sparking years of hectic negotiations centered on setting catch quotas&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/04/european-unions-collusion-with-fishing-lobbies-is-damaging-the-indian-ocean-tuna-say-critics/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>[Interview] Purnima Jalihal on the evolution and future of ocean energy systems in India</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/02/interview-purnima-jalihal-on-the-evolution-and-future-of-ocean-energy-systems-in-india/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/02/interview-purnima-jalihal-on-the-evolution-and-future-of-ocean-energy-systems-in-india/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Feb 2023 14:08:31 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Priyanka ShankarSahana Ghosh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sahana]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Clean Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Renewable Energy]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/02/24154931/Untitled-design1-768x512.png" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=21847</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy, Climate Connections, and Environment and Her]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy and Climate Change]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A seawater-powered lantern with an output in watts; a small hut powered by one to five kilowatts of ocean energy; or a town that could run on megawatts harnessed from the ocean: from watts to megawatts every iota of clean energy, including marine renewable energy, is important in India’s energy basket, says ocean energy scientist [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[A seawater-powered lantern with an output in watts; a small hut powered by one to five kilowatts of ocean energy; or a town that could run on megawatts harnessed from the ocean: from watts to megawatts every iota of clean energy, including marine renewable energy, is important in India’s energy basket, says ocean energy scientist Purnima Jalihal. Jalihal heads the Energy and Freshwater group at the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, India, and leads the development of ocean energy devices and thermal desalination systems at her lab. Of the many ways in which ocean energy can be accessed is through ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), a technology that taps into the temperature differences (thermal gradients) between relatively warmer surface waters and deep cold waters of the ocean to generate baseload electricity and desalinate ocean water. What is ocean energy? Ocean energy is a form of renewable energy which can be harnessed with the power of waves, currents, tides, temperature gradients and salinity gradients. Compared to other renewable energy systems such as solar, wind and hydropower, the commercialisation of ocean energy has remained slow over the decades. However, many countries are now developing technologies to tap the potential of the oceans and meet the renewable energy targets. India, a member country of the Ocean Energy Systems (OES), a technology collaboration programme from the International Energy Agency, is also working on both small-scale and large-scale projects in marine renewable energy. According to OES by 2050, ocean energy has the potential&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/02/interview-purnima-jalihal-on-the-evolution-and-future-of-ocean-energy-systems-in-india/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Deep-sea mining efforts gear up to meet clean energy demands amid concerns</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/10/deep-sea-mining-efforts-gear-up-to-meet-clean-energy-demands-amid-concerns/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/10/deep-sea-mining-efforts-gear-up-to-meet-clean-energy-demands-amid-concerns/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 Oct 2022 15:18:50 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[battery technologies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Clean Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sea mining]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/10/25153135/IMG-20220819-WA0016-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=20346</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Mining, Oceans, Research, and Technology]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In April 2021, Cdr. Gopakumar K. and his colleagues from the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) reached the central Indian Ocean with Varaha-1, a deep-sea mining machine. The 9.5-tonne machine was carefully lowered into the ocean waters using a high strength umbilical cable. It weighs 3.5 tonnes in the water due to the buoyancy. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In April 2021, Cdr. Gopakumar K. and his colleagues from the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) reached the central Indian Ocean with Varaha-1, a deep-sea mining machine. The 9.5-tonne machine was carefully lowered into the ocean waters using a high strength umbilical cable. It weighs 3.5 tonnes in the water due to the buoyancy. The test spot has a depth of about 5,200-5,300 metres. The sea conditions were calm. At sea however, the conditions can change with little notice, making this attempt challenging. The descent of the mining machine to the seabed generally takes about 3.5-4 hours. This spot, where the large machine was lowered, is part of the 75,000 sq. km. area (about 50 times the size of the National Capital Territory of Delhi) in the Central Indian Ocean, allocated to India by the International Seabed Authority (ISA), for conducting exploratory deep-seabed mining. Varaha-1, designed and engineered at NIOT, reached a depth of 5,270 metres to mine polymetallic nodules from the seabed as part of a test. The objective of this attempt was to test all the functionalities of Varaha -1. The test objective was met, and the design validated in the field trials. Gopakumar and his team returned with confidence and are preparing for the next stage of testing and system development. India is allotted 75,000 sq.km. by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to conduct exploratory deep sea mining. Photo from the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT). What are polymetallic nodules and what is the need&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/10/deep-sea-mining-efforts-gear-up-to-meet-clean-energy-demands-amid-concerns/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>[Explainer] What are tropical cyclones? How are they formed?</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/explainer-what-are-tropical-cyclones-how-are-they-formed/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/explainer-what-are-tropical-cyclones-how-are-they-formed/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Jun 2022 15:13:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Phalguni Ranjan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cyclone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oceans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weather]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/05/31121737/708px-November_1970_Bhola_Cyclone_Repair-708x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=18480</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections and Environment Explained]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, India, and Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Extreme Weather Events, and Monsoons]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[&#160; Tropical cyclones are fairly common weather systems, clocking a global average of around 80 storms annually. However, with rising global temperatures and subsequent increase in sea surface temperatures, the trends are changing, and dramatically. What is a tropical cyclone? A tropical cyclone is a large weather system that forms around a zone of very [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Hi reader, a small request before you go ahead: Local environment stories matter at a national and global level. We connect the dots for you. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter and get our stories sent straight to your inbox, every Saturday. &nbsp; Tropical cyclones are fairly common weather systems, clocking a global average of around 80 storms annually. However, with rising global temperatures and subsequent increase in sea surface temperatures, the trends are changing, and dramatically. What is a tropical cyclone? A tropical cyclone is a large weather system that forms around a zone of very low atmospheric pressure, driven by very strong winds. Forming primarily over warm water bodies during the warm pre- and post- monsoon months, cyclones are often accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds, both of which cause varying degrees of destruction based on the intensity of the cyclone. How is a cyclone formed? Each individual cyclonic event is the cumulative result of several processes including evaporation, cloud formation, winds, the Coriolis effect, and the formation of a low-pressure area. Cyclogenesis is the process of cyclone formation and typically starts with heat from the surface of warm oceans escaping into the atmosphere through evaporation. Oceans are the largest heat sinks on the planet, trapping over 90% of the excess heat on Earth, and are the regions where maximum warming due to climate change has occurred. The lighter warm air rises up in the atmosphere, leaving a low-pressure depression below where the colder, denser air&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/explainer-what-are-tropical-cyclones-how-are-they-formed/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>[Explainer] How does the Indian monsoon develop?</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/05/explainer-how-does-the-indian-monsoon-develop/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/05/explainer-how-does-the-indian-monsoon-develop/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 May 2022 11:11:42 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Anusha Krishnan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[monsoon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[southwest monsoon]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/05/30080029/2544829930_4bc3fe28ef_o-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=18461</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environment Explained]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, India, Indian Ocean, and Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Earth Science and Monsoons]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Every year, around the first week of June, a vast expanse of roiling grey clouds advances from the Arabian sea and makes landfall in Kerala to the tune of rumbling booms of thunder. Sheeting rain soon encompasses the whole state as the southwest monsoon sweeps over it. From June to September, the southwest or summer [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Every year, around the first week of June, a vast expanse of roiling grey clouds advances from the Arabian sea and makes landfall in Kerala to the tune of rumbling booms of thunder. Sheeting rain soon encompasses the whole state as the southwest monsoon sweeps over it. From June to September, the southwest or summer monsoon moves across India, bathing the country in rain – during this period, India receives 70-90% of its annual rainfall. In the cooler months, from October to November, the retreating monsoon or the Northeast monsoon sets in, and brings rain to the eastern coast of India, especially Tamil Nadu.  What causes the southwest or summer monsoon? In the ‘classical’ theory, Sir Edmund Halley in the 17th century reasoned that the differential heating of land and water caused the Indian summer monsoon. According to him, in summer, the Asian land mass heated up to form a low-pressure system, which attracted winds from the Arabian sea and Bay of Bengal, which were at lower temperatures and thus high-pressure systems. “But the classical theory doesn’t explain how or why monsoons are unique to certain places on Earth like India. Nor does it explain how the monsoon sets as a sudden burst,” says Arindam Chakraborty, a professor at the Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (CAOS) in the Indian Institute of Science, who works on the Indian monsoon. Read more: [Explainer] What factors affect the Indian summer monsoon? What is the ‘ energetics’ theory of the monsoon? “The more&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/05/explainer-how-does-the-indian-monsoon-develop/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>[Explainer] What factors affect the Indian summer monsoon?</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/04/explainer-what-factors-affect-the-indian-summer-monsoon/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/04/explainer-what-factors-affect-the-indian-summer-monsoon/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Apr 2022 16:19:16 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Anusha Krishnan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[monsoon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weather]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/04/29160154/2016_A_Rainy_Day_Nada_Cyclone_Chennai_India-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=18068</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environment Explained]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Monsoons]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Indian summer monsoon is a vast weather event that is crucial to the 1.39 billion people that live in India, as most of the rainfall (70-90%) that the country receives, is during this period, May-end to September. The amount of rainfall that India receives during the summer monsoon varies every year. Even though this variation [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[The Indian summer monsoon is a vast weather event that is crucial to the 1.39 billion people that live in India, as most of the rainfall (70-90%) that the country receives, is during this period, May-end to September. The amount of rainfall that India receives during the summer monsoon varies every year. Even though this variation is only about 10% above or below the predicted average, it has a huge impact on the economy of the country. This is because the livelihoods of millions of farmers in India, and the nation’s GDP rests on the amount and pattern of rainfall during the summer monsoon. Therefore, predictions of the strength of the monsoon every year by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) are of great importance. Ongoing research over the last 30-50 years has identified many factors that affect the Indian summer monsoon. These range from long-term, large-scale global effects such as the El Niño, La Niña, Indian Ocean Dipole, and more, to more short-term and local effects such as dust clouds and even patterns of irrigation. What are El Niño and La Niña? How do they affect the Indian monsoon? ‘El Niño’, meaning ‘the boy child’ refers to a large-scale warming of the sea surface, along the central and east-central Pacific Ocean around the Equator. It is named in Spanish as a reference to the ‘Christ child’ as it appears around Christmas time in December, as a warm ocean current along the South American coast. The ‘La Niña’ meaning the ‘the girl&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/04/explainer-what-factors-affect-the-indian-summer-monsoon/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>India needs more conservation-relevant research on sharks and rays</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/03/india-needs-more-conservation-relevant-research-on-sharks-and-rays/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/03/india-needs-more-conservation-relevant-research-on-sharks-and-rays/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Mar 2022 10:15:02 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Neha Jain]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endangered]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[species loss]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/03/22095414/brownbandedbambooshark-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=17487</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Ancestors of sharks have been swimming in the oceans for as long as 400 million years, fossil evidence suggests. With over 1000 species of sharks and rays worldwide, they come in a wide range of sizes and shapes. These skillful top predators play vital roles in marine ecosystems. Yet, a third of all known species [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Ancestors of sharks have been swimming in the oceans for as long as 400 million years, fossil evidence suggests. With over 1000 species of sharks and rays worldwide, they come in a wide range of sizes and shapes. These skillful top predators play vital roles in marine ecosystems. Yet, a third of all known species of sharks, rays and chimaeras — comprising a group of cartilaginous fishes called chondrichthyans — are threatened with extinction due to overfishing and other human activities. A new study analysing past research on sharks and rays in India found that most studies concentrated on a few states and on charismatic species. Overall, research lacked relevance and applicability to chondrichthyan conservation, specifically on-ground management and policy-making. The team, along with other experts, recommended more funding allocation into applied research and greater collaboration opportunities. India has one of the largest chondrichthyan fisheries globally and boasts a high diversity of species—at least 155—in its waters. In the Arabian Sea and adjacent waters, which were found to host 30 endemic species, the plight of chondrichthyans is particularly dire: over 50 percent are threatened, mainly due to overfishing. Management of fisheries Compared to other Asian countries, India has few policies and regulations to conserve sharks and rays. Currently, ten species of sharks are protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. In 2015, shark finning and the import and export of shark fins was banned. “While these are positive steps, a lot more needs to be done,”&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/03/india-needs-more-conservation-relevant-research-on-sharks-and-rays/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Demand for sea cucumbers turns India-Sri Lanka waters into trafficking hotspot</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/02/demand-for-sea-cucumbers-turns-india-sri-lanka-waters-into-trafficking-hotspot/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/02/demand-for-sea-cucumbers-turns-india-sri-lanka-waters-into-trafficking-hotspot/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Feb 2022 12:24:36 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Malaka RodrigoPragati Prava]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Nandithachandraprakash]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/02/11102423/5720985441_bf919bbf87_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=17090</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environmental Law, Fish, Fishing, Oceans, Overfishing, and Wildlife Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[It was a calm October night over Sri Lanka’s northern seas, the silence broken only by the sound of a rapidly approaching motorboat from India. In Kalpitiya, a town further down the island’s western coast, it rendezvoused with a truck waiting on the beach. Also waiting there was a Navy patrol team, which seized the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[It was a calm October night over Sri Lanka’s northern seas, the silence broken only by the sound of a rapidly approaching motorboat from India. In Kalpitiya, a town further down the island’s western coast, it rendezvoused with a truck waiting on the beach. Also waiting there was a Navy patrol team, which seized the illegal consignment of 1,196 kilograms (2,637 pounds) of dried sea cucumbers; authorities also arrested two trafficking suspects. The previous month, on September 19, the Indian Coast Guard made a similar arrest in the waters off Mandapam in Tamil Nadu state. The individuals arrested in that incident were carrying 2 metric tons of sea cucumbers meant to be smuggled by sea into Sri Lanka. Seizures of illegally harvested sea cucumbers have become increasingly common in the waters between India and Sri Lanka. Between 2015 and 2020, the Sri Lankan Navy and the Indian Coast Guard made 502 arrests and seized nearly 65 metric tons of sea cucumbers worth a combined $2.84 million. A group of men sorting sea cucumbers for processing. Photo courtesy of Ganeshan Nishanthan. Increase in smuggling According to data analysis of sea cucumber-related seizures and arrests reported in the media, 2019 and 2020 saw a sharp increase in cases, making the Gulf of Mannar/Palk Bay region between the two countries a global hotspot for sea cucumber smuggling. Despite their name, sea cucumbers aren’t vegetables; they’re echinoderms, from the same phylum of marine animals that includes starfish and sea urchins, and live on the sandy bottoms of oceans, where they perform&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/02/demand-for-sea-cucumbers-turns-india-sri-lanka-waters-into-trafficking-hotspot/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Newly declared dugong conservation reserve will help protect marine biodiversity</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/01/newly-declared-dugong-conservation-reserve-will-help-protect-marine-biodiversity/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/01/newly-declared-dugong-conservation-reserve-will-help-protect-marine-biodiversity/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Jan 2022 10:50:03 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[K.A. Shaji]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dugong]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endangered]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/01/11132943/G0240730-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=16755</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India, Indian Ocean, and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Mammals, Oceans, and Protected Areas]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In an effort to protect the dugong, the Tamil Nadu government declared 500 sq. km of the biodiversity-rich waters in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay, where the marine mammal is found, as the country&#8217;s first dugong conservation reserve. Announced in September last year, the reserve is spread over the northern part of the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[In an effort to protect the dugong, the Tamil Nadu government declared 500 sq. km of the biodiversity-rich waters in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay, where the marine mammal is found, as the country&#8217;s first dugong conservation reserve. Announced in September last year, the reserve is spread over the northern part of the region between Adirampattinam and Amapattinam, off the coast in southeast India. The dugong is listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, though some studies show its conservation status is highly variable across its range. Once abundant in Indian waters, the dugong population is now estimated at around 200 individuals and is believed to be continuously declining in its number and range, according to WII estimates. Dugongs can be spotted in the Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar, off the coast of Tamil Nadu which is now the most significant surviving natural habitat for dugongs, globally. There are reports of dugongs found near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and near the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat. &#8220;By protecting dugongs, we are not supporting that species alone. The rich marine diversity of the Gulf of Mannar would completely come under the protection, and there would be new initiatives to address the challenges of climate change on marine animals and their ecosystem,&#8221; Supriya Sahu, additional chief secretary with the government of Tamil Nadu, in charge of environment, climate change, and forests, told Mongabay-India. She says the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay are habitats for&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/01/newly-declared-dugong-conservation-reserve-will-help-protect-marine-biodiversity/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>High-flying dragons: how the globe skimmer migrates across the Indian Ocean</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/11/high-flying-dragons-how-the-globe-skimmer-migrates-across-the-indian-ocean/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/11/high-flying-dragons-how-the-globe-skimmer-migrates-across-the-indian-ocean/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Nov 2021 14:53:58 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Neha Jain]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Nandithachandraprakash]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/11/10094305/Pantala-flavescens-globe-skimmer-globe-wanderer-or-wandering-glider-male-in-flight-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=16171</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Climate Change Adaptation, Earth Science, Environment, Insects, Migration, Research, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Marine biologist Charles Anderson saw swarms of globe skimmer dragonflies landing at the Maldives during autumn, before they took off towards East Africa. Back in 2009, these observations led Anderson to an interesting proposal: the migratory globe skimmer dragonfly, which is only five centimetres long, flies seasonally from India to East Africa by crossing the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Marine biologist Charles Anderson saw swarms of globe skimmer dragonflies landing at the Maldives during autumn, before they took off towards East Africa. Back in 2009, these observations led Anderson to an interesting proposal: the migratory globe skimmer dragonfly, which is only five centimetres long, flies seasonally from India to East Africa by crossing the Indian Ocean, and then journeys back. It is believed that the dragonflies ride on high-altitude seasonal winds to cross the ocean. Taking into account the dragonfly’s tiny body size, this voyage would be the world’s longest regular non-stop migration — surpassing the distance travelled by the famed Monarch butterflies in North America. But this epic journey is only a small part of a giant annual migratory circuit: It is believed that over several generations, globe skimmers fly between India, East Africa and Middle Asia covering more than 14,000 kilometres. Scientists are only beginning to unravel the details of this circuit and how this tiny dragonfly makes it across the Indian Ocean. “It’s not ‘a migration,’ it’s a whole web of movements,” notes Anderson, who has studied the arrival of globe skimmers at the Maldives. While the migration of Monarch butterflies is well studied, relatively little is known about the annual migratory cycle of the globe skimmer dragonfly (Pantala flavescens). Because of their migratory behaviour, globe skimmers or wandering gliders, as they are also known, are distributed worldwide except for Europe and the polar regions. A 2016 genetic study found high rates of gene flow among&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/11/high-flying-dragons-how-the-globe-skimmer-migrates-across-the-indian-ocean/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Fish markets in India driven by bycatch and sustained by subsidies</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/10/fish-markets-driven-by-bycatch-and-sustained-by-subsidies/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/10/fish-markets-driven-by-bycatch-and-sustained-by-subsidies/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Oct 2021 14:30:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Monika Mandal]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bycatch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fishing]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/10/12214724/catching_the_fish_aqua_farm_in_AP-scaled-e1634055592801-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=15858</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Fishing and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Twenty years ago, when Gurul Mangellpeli (45) used to go fishing, he would find many varieties of fishes such as pulusa (Indian shad), erameenu (Emperor), karava (Lethrinus) and more, just 20km from the shoreline. “Now the fishes are to be brought from at least 150-300 km away from the coast,” he complains as he docks [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Twenty years ago, when Gurul Mangellpeli (45) used to go fishing, he would find many varieties of fishes such as pulusa (Indian shad), erameenu (Emperor), karava (Lethrinus) and more, just 20km from the shoreline. “Now the fishes are to be brought from at least 150-300 km away from the coast,” he complains as he docks his boat next to a line of other mechanised boats in hues of yellow and blue at the fishing harbour in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (AP). Located on the east coast of India, Visakhapatnam (colloquially known as Vizag) is a busy city with high-rise residential and commercial buildings facing the sea. The once-fishing village is now dotted with petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries. Yet, fish and fishing remain central to Vizag’s economy. When it comes to marine exports, Vizag port is considered one of the top contributors. AP is the largest exporter of fish and shrimp in the country. According to the Handbook on Fisheries Statistics of 2020, India’s fishery sector has been growing steadily, led largely by an increase in aquaculture production, which blossomed only in the last two-three decades, with a growth rate of over 10% year-on-year. The Government of India seeks to promote aquaculture, or the cultivation of targeted commercial fishes in ponds and inland water bodies, under its Blue Revolution scheme. One of their narratives has been that this would ease the pressure on fast-depleting resources of wild fish species. However, recent reports and studies suggest that, since many of the farmed fishes&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/10/fish-markets-driven-by-bycatch-and-sustained-by-subsidies/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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