In July 2021, with a few of my colleagues, I visited Churna Island, located at the border of the Sindh-Balochistan coastline. I witnessed the beauty of a fragile reef ecosystem that could be lost if people continue to harm the reefs with careless industrial and tourist activities.
Later, in a conversation with Dr. Fehmida Firdous, who formerly worked with the marine science department of Karachi University, I got aware of the severe effects of massive coral bleaching on fisheries communities of Pakistan. During her year-long research work along Pakistan’s coastline, she discovered how science has recently linked climate change with ocean acidification.
The seawater absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which reacts and causes acidity in oceans. The increasing acidity along Sindh and Balochistan’s coastlines, due to massive industrial activities, harms both coral reefs and aquatic life.
Humans, throughout history, have taken advantage of oceans as an inexhaustible resource, but now increasing resilience is reaching its limits. Due to global warming, the ocean water temperature rises faster than in the past, resulting in massive climate changes and considerable losses to marine life and impacting the livelihood of fisheries communities.
Oceans regulate the global climates; determine rainfall and regional weather patterns. They are also a substantial store of carbon. As per a recent estimation, 83 percent of the global carbon cycle circulates through marine water.
Meanwhile, increasing global warming has altered these natural forces; consequently, significant parts of the earth are experiencing extreme weather events. Research showed that in the last 200 years, our oceans have absorbed one-third of carbon dioxide produced by human activities and 90 percent of the extra heat trapped by the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases.
At the moment, a primary concern of marine biologists is that the basic chemistry of oceans is altering faster than over the past 65 million years. As a consequence, coral reefs are dying worldwide, all seven turtle species are declared endangered by IUCN, and other marine species, including whale, shark, and javelin fishes, are undergoing habitat degradation and facing challenges to their survival.
Realizing the severity of the situation, Scientia Pakistan brings its exclusive edition on the theme “Marine Biology”. We have got exciting stories on the Pharmaceutical Treasure of oceans, the latest advancements in marine science, the role of Oceans in climate change and regional weather patterns, plastic pollution, the impact of coral bleaching on Fisher’s livelihood, and much more.
We exclusively interviewed Dr. Shoaib Kaini, a Senior Prof of Marine Science dept Karachi University, on Green and Olive Turtle extinction along Pakistan’s coastline.
Summing up, this edition will be an excellent treat for all ocean and marine biology lovers. Have a wonderful read!
Ministry of Maritime Affairs (MoMA) performs various duties, which include licensing and developing National ports and coastal areas, strengthening seaborne trade, utilizing marine resources, and ensuring security and safety (MoMA, 2022) of maritime trade. The Ministry of Ports and Shipping was established as an independent federal ministry of Pakistan in 2004.
Later, in 2017, it was restructured and replaced with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs. MoMA’s head office is in Islamabad. As it has links to seaports, a separate division, and several attached departments have been established in Karachi. MoMA has two wings, National Center for Maritime Policy Research (NCMPR) Islamabad and NCMPR Karachi (NCMPR, 2017).
NCMPR Karachi is a body that has a role in identifying potential hurdles in this sector, while NCMPR sets principles and guidelines by performing research in the maritime domain (Azmie, 2017).
ORGANIZATIONS
Pakistan Marine Academy
It was established as ‘The Mercantile Marine Academy’ in 1962 at Chittagong. Then it was shifted to Mirpur Road, Karachi, in June 1978(Lodhi, 1991). This is the only public institution in the country that provide training to Seafarers.
Its curriculum includes both theoretical and practical training for Seafarers. It produces around 150 Seafarers annually for the national and international maritime departments and is one of the internationally recognized institutes (Academy, 2021).
Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC)
PNSC is the national flag carrier of Pakistan. It was established by the unification of the National Shipping Corporation (NSC) and Pakistan Shipping Corporation in 1979 through Pakistan National Shipping Corporation Ordinance No. XX, 1979 [Gazette of Pakistan, extraordinary Part I, 29 March 1979], protected by the constitution(Corporation, 2015).
It is responsible for trading cargo worldwide (Yousuf, Ali, & Management, 2020). Its aim is to become a prime stakeholder in the world’s Maritime industry.
This is the only port in Pakistan for LNG and contributes to more than 90% of the country’s external trade(Authority, 2022). Port Qasim is genuinely a “Gateway to National Prosperity.”
Port Qasim Authority
An Act of parliament on 29 June 1973 set up this port. It is in Karachi’s phitti creek of the Indus delta region. Its operation was started to import raw materials for Pakistan’s Steel Mill. Later, various elements were included, such as minerals oils, edible oil, coal, rice, wheat, cement to fertilizers, general cargo, containers, and LNG.
This is the only port in Pakistan for LNG and contributes to more than 90% of the country’s external trade(Authority, 2022). Port Qasim is genuinely a “Gateway to National Prosperity.”
To be a dynamic, modern, fully integrated port facility; preferred choice for its business partners and stakeholders; facilitating synchronized development contributing to the economic progress of Pakistan, leading to prosperity. ~Syed Hasan Nasir Shah (CHAIRMAN PORT QASIM)
Karachi Port Trust
Karachi Port was regulated by Karachi Harbor Board between 1980 to 1988. After that, it was established in 1887by the Act-IV of 1886. A chairman and 10 trustees (from the public and private sectors) operate that port (KPT, 2019).
Its mission statement is, The Landlord Port Strategy pursues to lease out port infrastructure, land, access, and assets to private port operators long-term while retaining regulatory functions.
GPA has been Pakistan’s most potent framework since its birth. After completion, it will be one of the biggest maritime hubs in the world (GPA, 2022).
Gawador Port Authority (GPA)
Gwadar is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea in Balochistan, about 533 km from Karachi and 120 km from the Iranian border. It was established on 17 October 2002 after proclaiming GPA ordinance No. LXXVII of 2002. It was formed to perform Gawador deep port operations. GPA has been Pakistan’s most potent framework since its birth. After completion, it will be one of the biggest maritime hubs in the world (GPA, 2022).
Directorate General Port and Shipping
This is the administrative authority of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and is the center of attention to connect MoMA with the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Besides policy-making and legalizations, it is the primary regulator of MoMA and implements oversees IMO conventions. Its mission is to emerge as a world-class maritime administration committed to continuous improvement.
Their goals are the Incorporation of International Conventions into National Legislation, implementation of National Laws, development of the Shipping Industry, availability of Qualified Maritime Professionals, safety of Navigation, protection of the Maritime Environment, and Ship & Port Security (S, 2022).
The Korangi Fisheries Harbour Authority and Marine Fisheries Department
Both departments are responsible for planning, construction, operation, management, maintenance, and exploiting fisheries resources. Their primary focus is to enhance the export of fish-related products to increase revenue. Their duties include reviving fish stock in Pakistani water systems by adopting modern and safe fishing techniques.
Areas of Improvement
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Conservation
Oceans have the most ancient and diverse forms of life on earth, as it holds more than 1.4 -1.6 million species (Appeltans et al., 2012). Economic development has resulted in the overexploitation of marine resources. Marine biological resources are reduced due to land-based pollution, habitat destruction, invasive species, and fishing pressure (Friedlander, 2018).
“The greatest danger to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” ~Robert Swan
Due to economic rehabilitation, Pakistan’s maritime sector is overgrowing. Especially Gawador port to finalize the CPEC project. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and attached departments should maximize its benefits through maritime activities without disturbing the resource base: the ocean itself. For that, an integrated Maritime Policy is required.
The merging of the Environmental Protection Agency and Punjab Fisheries Department with The Korangi Fisheries Harbour Authority and Marine Fisheries Departmentand bringing the concerned departments under the same faculty would protect fish and other biological elements of the sea.
To implement an Integrated Maritime Policy, there is a need to develop a link between fisheries policy, environment agency set protocols, and all maritime activities.
Utilization of Biological Resources
The most overlooked segment of the Maritime department is diverse biological resources. These biological resources include flora and fauna, their interaction with the environment, and behavioral effects due to surrounding influence.
Macroalgae (or seaweeds) and microalgae, seagrasses, emergent vegetation, gastropods (snails), cephalopods (squid and octopus), crustaceans (lobsters and crabs), sponges, corals, and fish habitats are included in essential biological resources(Zhong, 2019).
These organisms are not only involved in the food chain but also help in remitting oceanic pollution caused by human activities. Moreover, these resources can be utilized in various sectors such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, aesthetics, fertilizers, health, agro-food, aquaculture, and abundant biotechnological processes.
The blue economy generates about 566 billion euros and 3.5 million jobs annually. Modern research institutes such as National Centre for Maritime Policy Research Islamabad should be collaborated with the ministry of maritime affairs to utilize these biological resources.
Tourism
Marine tourism is an integral part of the global tourism industry. The Maldives, the Indian State of Kerala, Singapore, and Thailand have focused on their coastal tourism industry and earned countless revenue from it. Pakistan also has great potential for marine tourism. It possesses a variety of cultural, natural, and religious resources. Various ethnic groups at coastal sites may attract tourists around the world (Fatima & Akhtar, 2021).
“The travel and tourism industry is a high part of our economy.” ~Karen Hughes
A modernized city is being constructed near Gawador port with the international standard airport and many other facilities. The ranking of Pakistan in terms of World Tourism Income is 125th. World Travel & Tourism Council calculated Pakistan’s GDP as 3.1% in 2013 and World Data Atlas as 7.4% contributed by tourism.
To enhance tourism in the country, a strategic plan needed to be developed by the National Tourism Coordination Board (NTCB) based on the principles of sustainable tourism development. There is a demand to establish a Maritime Tourism board to regulate all the stakeholders.
References
Appeltans, W., Ahyong, S. T., Anderson, G., Angel, M. V., Artois, T., Bailly, N., . . . Berta, A. J. C. b. (2012). The magnitude of global marine species diversity. 22(23), 2189-2202.
Fatima, N., & Akhtar, M. J. P.-J. (2021). Maritime Tourism: Global Success Stories and the Case of Pakistan. 2(1), 1-1.
Friedlander, A. M. J. M. p. b. (2018). Marine conservation in Oceania: Past, present, and future. 135, 139-149.
Zhong, H. (2019). Exploitation and utilization of marine resources and protection of marine ecology. Paper presented at the IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science.
Appeltans, W., Ahyong, S. T., Anderson, G., Angel, M. V., Artois, T., Bailly, N., . . . Berta, A. J. C. b. (2012). The magnitude of global marine species diversity. 22(23), 2189-2202.
Appeltans, W., Ahyong, S. T., Anderson, G., Angel, M. V., Artois, T., Bailly, N., . . . Berta, A. J. C. b. (2012). The magnitude of global marine species diversity. 22(23), 2189-2202.
Yousuf, M. A., Ali, T. J. J. o. M., & Management. (2020). Downfall of Local Shipping Industry of Pakistan-A Case Study of Pakistan National Shipping Corporation. 11(1).
Zhong, H. (2019). Exploitation and utilization of marine resources and protection of marine ecology. Paper presented at the IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science.
Subhra Priyadarshini is a science journalist of over 25 years and the Chief Editor of Nature India. She has worked as a journalist with major Indian dailies, India’s leading news agency Press Trust of India and Down To Earth magazine.
Subhra is inaugural President of Science Journalists Association of India (SJAI), a member association of World Federation of Science Journalists(WFSJ), which aims to widen the impact of science journalism in India. As one of the mentors, she recently participated in the Himalayan Climate Boot Camp 2022 (HCBC2022), funded by the Spark Grant Initiative of WFSJ.
She shares her thoughts on the trends of science journalism in Nepal and South Asia with Nepalese Science Journalist Gobinda Prasad Pokharel.
Gobinda:What kind of stories did you cover in the beginning of your science journalism career?
Subhra: My boss Dr K. S. Jayaraman always advised me to follow basic research. He said science does not always have a breakthrough or an immediate application for society, things do not happen like that. Science is very incremental in nature and proceeds on low pace. So we must, as journalists, record that slow process of science and chronicle its evolution alongside other journalistic scrutiny.
Jayaraman, a nuclear physicist himself, insisted on giving due importance to basic research, whether it was in physics, chemistry or biology. Whenever there is a breakthrough, there is of course a big story. But even the small stories in science, if told well, can be great. And, people must be told those stories. That is how you build an audience which primes up to small increments in science. Otherwise everybody will expect big bang science stories in the papers everyday but that does not happen.
Science journalists and scientists use journalism to question authorities, or to tell truth to the power. Photo: Subhra
Gobinda: How do you see the transformation of science journalism in the last two decades?
Subhra: The early days of science journalism were all about curiosity, about the excitement of science, about small and big discoveries and the wonder of science. Slowly, it got a place where we utilized science as a tool to tell investigative journalistic science pieces, using science to scrutinize issues and unravelling truths.
And now science journalists and scientists use journalism to question authorities, or to tell truth to the power. So, there’s a range of stories you can tell with science journalism. Meanwhile, the form and content of storytelling has also changed drastically. Whereas I think that the old-style, long form journalism still has its charm, the new and emerging techniques of storytelling are immersive and take the audience on a journey – that is great too.
Gobinda: Is it necessary to be a student of science to become a science journalist?
Subhra: That’s a great a question. Though it helps to have some idea of how science is done, I do not think that it is mandatory to have a science degree. Some of the best science journalists have come from non-science backgrounds. What is necessary is to have some basic idea of science concepts, a flair for sifting through technical language and be able to explain it to your audiences, and most importantly, knowing where to get what. You may not be an expert in every discipline you cover but you must know who to contact to understand the subject, or who can explain it best to you.
Gobinda: Let’s talk of South Asian newsrooms. Why is science journalism still not considered mainstream?
Subhra: You are right, though it is not just a phenomenon in South Asia, I would say. Globally, very few organizations or media houses give importance to the need for covering science. As you would know, the media landscape is a very fragile and fragmented one the world over. Whatever makes profit is a beat and what does not is not a beat in our newsrooms – this applies to beats like environment and science. It is not a revenue drawer for media houses.
So, whatever little has been done over the years, with people like us pushing for it, is visible in a handful of media houses employing full time science journalists. First generation environment and science journalists have been trying to push for change and trying to create these beats in newsrooms for a long time.
In South Asia the problem is particularly acute because of lack of investments in or allocations to science per se. When there is not much investment in science and technology by the government or private bodies, it reflects in the advertising capacity. And that reflects in the investments in science journalism as well.
If you do not have any funding in these areas, you are not able to support either independent science journalism or make an editorial case in the newsroom. If there were funders who would say “I am willing to invest in science journalism in South Asia”, I don’t see why there would be lack of avenues for this important beat of journalism.
Just like we saw the example of the recent Everest Boot Camp, where the World Federation of Science Journalists provided funding, and we were able to bring in 8 science journalists from across South Asia to the Everest region, from where reporting is scant. These kinds of small pockets of brilliance, small projects exist, but overall efforts to boost science journalism are still lacking.
In South Asia the problem is particularly acute because of lack of investments in or allocations to science per se. Photo: Subhra
Gobinda:You just mentioned funding in science. South Asia has done a lot in space exploration, touching Mars and Moon. The region seems to have invested more in space science than, say, European nations. Isn’t this contradictory?
Subhra: There is a small difference here, we are talking about technology. Space programmes are primarily in the domain of technology. You’ll see that there hasn’t been an astronomical change in space technology in the past decades. While that is all well placed and fine, science is different. Funding for basic research and research with industrial or societal applications is still very low in South Asian countries.
Research in the global south also needs to support the immediate grand challenges that the people in this region face. For instance, agricultural research, water and energy, climate change adaptation research – these might be critical for us. So this debate has always been there about how much investment we should make in astronomy and astrophysics and big bang science.
I have always maintained that these two strands are separate and governments and policy makers must look at it like that. They should not confuse technology with science.
Gobinda:Why do you think political parties and leaders in the global south never give priority to Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in their manifestos?
Subhra: In the countries of the global south, it is always a difficult proposition. Almost like a chicken and egg situation. To prioritize science and technology over gripping and urgent issues such as health, education, development etc. So, it really needs visionaries to understand that science and technology can actually be the driver for meeting these ends. And therefore, to invest in socially beneficial science and technology is what governments and policy makers in South Asian countries should focus on – for them it kills two birds with the same stone.
Another issue is of prioritizing where to use the funds. For example, if Nepal allocates 11 to 12% of its total annual budget to STI, where exactly is it spending that money? Is it actually being spent in strengthening basic and translatable research or is it being used for building infrastructure or recruiting faculty? This is a very, very important question to ask the policy makers. I know that in Nepal, for instance, much of the recent S&T budget is going into infrastructure.
Billions are going into constructing buildings, museums, science parks. While these are all excellent intentions, this comes in the second phase of any country’s progress in S & T. You should have beautiful museums and infrastructure, but what will you showcase in them if your basic research is not that strong?
So to my mind, for countries in South Asia – so rich in natural resources and housing global biodiversity hotspots – it would be worth creating strong frameworks to support basic research that spans the broad areas of environment, climate resilience, health and agriculture.
We have massive problems in health infrastructure and delivery. Our countries have brilliant brains but not enough of an ecosystem to harness our scientific acumen. Less than 1% of GDP allocated to S&T will not be able to unlock that potential. That also needs very, very serious thought and visionaries to change the status quo.
So we need scientists in policy making bodies, in politics, in our political parties to come forward and say these things. Otherwise change will be difficult. Nepal is flanked by India and China, which gives the country the opportunity of collaborative scientific research, especially in the common interest areas like climate change. It would be worth turning that opportunity into an advantage.
Whatever makes profit is a beat and what does not is not a beat in our newsrooms – this applies to beats like environment and science. It is not a revenue drawer for media houses. ~ Subhra
Gobinda:Is there a gap in our politicians’ understanding of science?
Subhra: As I said, unless you have more scientists in political ranks, it will be difficult to sensitize political leaders and parties. The grammar of science is very different from the grammar of politics. Political parties may just be using S&T to glamourize their manifestos without much understanding of the subject. More scientists in the policy making bodies could help them understand how science is done, how much time science takes to materialize and what the role of science could be in changing societies.
At the risk of generalizing, let’s just say for a politician with little understanding of the science ecosystem, STI could mean an aeroplane or a rocket, switching on a light bulb or having hot water flow out of the taps. But the rigours of science lie in the lab. If we can take our politicians into the labs and make them see how science is done, what the process of science is, why scientists work on a small thing for years and write manuscripts, what goes into defining a basic science question, we would sensitise them better.
Unless we convey the grammar of science to politicians, this situation won’t change. Better manifestos will be written if scientists are consulted over the gripping issues that science can provide solutions to, the areas of science that are important to Nepal and which research should get what kind of funding.
Gobinda:You closely watch the global science and science journalism scenario. How do you see its development in Nepal?
Subhra: I should not claim to be an expert either in Nepal’s science or its science journalism. I just look at it from a distance and obviously, you will have more insight than me. From a distance what I see is Nepal has an immense opportunity to create a centre of excellence around Mount Everest. When you say Nepal to a global audience, everybody says, “Wow, Nepal, the land of Everest, the land of beautiful people, the land of spirituality.”
Nepal has a brilliant mountain topography, some of the world’s highest peaks, and some excellent scientists working on various aspects of this unique landscape. So how about making use of these scientists to create a global centre of excellence focused on the roof of the world? Just like the Pyramid lab– a global go-to centre of Everest and high mountain research so that scientists anywhere in the world can refer to work done here. There could be similar centres in the other biodiversity hotspots of Nepal.
Gobinda:What is the role of science journalists in exploring these issues?
The hard work of scientists would remain confined to manuscripts in science journals if not for science journalists. Nepali science journalism is yet to create that space, that buzz about science in its mainstream media. Science journalists in Nepal not only need to spread the word about Nepal’s science to the Nepali people and beyond its borders, but also raise critical questions about the state of science and research in the country. Collaborative projects with journalists in other South Asian countries would also bring the issues of Nepal to a global audience.
Gobinda:Brain drain is a grim reality in South Asia. What do you think?
Subhra: It is a huge issue for India too. The reason that some brilliant scientists still work in the country despite better offers from the US, UK or Europe is because of family reasons, because they do not want to leave their families and go to a foreign land. Apart from that, the pay or the culture of doing science is not comparable. For research scholars, the funding, scholarships and grants do not come in time. Getting basic infrastructure and equipment in the labs is a challenge. There are issues of poor academic culture and mentorship. In the absence of these things, brain drain is inevitable.
In recent times, the Indian government is trying a lot through various lucrative offers to get its good scientists back though.
Gobinda:What are the challenges and opportunities for science journalists in South Asia?
Subhra: We live in countries where the lion’s share of science is done by the government. There is very less private funding in science. For the same reason, independent science journalism is difficult to fund and sustain.
Governments are also not forthcoming with data as that might show them in bad light sometimes. So finding data is a challenge many times and, in turn, making governments accountable too. Reaching scientists in some government organisations is difficult since they need permissions to talk to the media, which could take days to come, making it difficult for science journalists on deadlines.
The other big challenge for science journalists is that there is no culture of science journalism in our newsrooms. It is many times tough to convince editors that science is an important beat, only a fewer editors give priority to science.
The opportunities, therefore, are immense. Science journalists from Asia are writing for global media houses and bringing many burning issues to global attention. Right now, the global south has the most important stories of sciences to tell – be it in climate change or health.
Linking science and society and telling human stories through the lens of science presents a global opportunity. In the past, many science stories from the global south have been told with a foreign eye by visiting journalists who may not have the same perspective as local journalists. It is also time for science journalists in these parts to own the narrative and present first-hand accounts of stories from South Asia.
Seaspiracy was produced by the same group that made the 2014 factory farming exposé Cowspiracy, is directed and narrated by 27-year-old British movie director Ali Tabrizi, who demonstrates the devastating effects that commercial fishing is having on marine life, including sharks, dolphins, and whales, which are essential to the survival of the oceans. Additionally, it reveals the corrupt side of the multi-billion-dollar fish industry that I was unaware even existed.
The goal of Seaspiracy, which aired on Netflix, was to focus on dolphins. Instead, Ali Tabrizi finds himself tracking down and exposing the industry’s catastrophic costs. By utilizing covert cameras to record dangerous areas around the globe that contain, guard, and sustain unlawful fishing markets, such as the dolphin and shark markets, Tabrizi puts himself at risk. Throughout his travels, he discovers a deeper and more intricate network of fraud, corruption, financial gain, and intergovernmental cooperation.
Ali refused to interview and is obviously not wanted to go anywhere and his inquiry feels dangerous. The sad indictment of the entire commercial fishing business that we learn over the course of the 90 minutes is shocking. Due to overfishing and the devastation of the marine ecology, its actions are much more harmful than plastic and oil pollution and might cause the oceans to be completely empty by 2048.
Most surprisingly, Tabrizi learns on a trip to Taiji in southern Japan that dolphins are killed because they consume too many fish. Of course, they are only being used as scapegoats for the overfishing that is taking place, which is more hazardous to the environment than deforestation.
In the movie, Ali Tabrizi finds himself tracking down and exposing the fishing industry’s catastrophic costs.
In Seaspiracy, a wealth of facts is uncovered and made public on how and why the commercial fishing industry is destroying the environment, humankind, and the future. This movie should be watched critically, if not absolutely essentially, if you can handle the animal cruelty, brutality, bloody violence, and slaughter. It’s difficult to swallow, but part of the aim is without a doubt to convey the severity of what truly happened.
Being “in on it” by numerous businesses, organizations, and governments is also quite frightening. This film is challenging to see but highly necessary due to its astounding revelations. One benefit is that it significantly heightens awareness of the true threats to our oceans. And it isn’t made of plastic. Yes, it is, but the bigger issue is commercial fishing.
The fishing industry collaborates to conceal these issues, and they have communication control. For instance, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill tragedy, which caused widespread concern, released tons of oil into the ocean over the course of three months, killing a large number of marine species. The Gulf of Mexico is the only place where commercial fishing occurs, and it only takes place on 1 day. Actually, the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe helped fish and seas recover and benefit since it reduced commercial fishing for even a short period of time.
The horrible practice of “bycatch” must be stopped. For example, killing 100 deer would be equivalent to slaughtering 200,000 horses. To catch 100 Pacific Bluefin Tuna, it is needless to kill millions of sharks, dolphins, and sea turtles. This is an enormous waste that has a negative impact on the ocean’s ecosystem (only a few decades ago, Pacific Bluefin Tuna were abundant, but now less than 3 percent remain). Any ecosystem’s destruction of the top predator will result in incredibly terrible cascading effects.
Seaspiracy is a well-researched, educational, and occasionally downright startling work. Near the conclusion, Tabrizi interacts with Thai fishermen who were essentially forced into slavery in order to keep the cost of the fishing industry low. Numerous statistics and (poorly labeled) graphs show that, by the year 2050, there won’t be much left in the world’s oceans due to the rate at which people are overfishing them.
I highly recommend you watch this documentary to get the full gist of the atrocities of the fishing industry and how it is providing for the fish you eat. After watching this, you will know that plastic is not the only factor that is destroying sea life, although it has its effects too. Next time you eat sushi or simple finger-fried fish you’ll think twice.
The dawn of a new era in astronomy has begun as the world gets its first look at the full capabilities of the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. The first full-colour image was taken with James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and was revealed by NASA on July 11, 2022.
A flurry of bright white galaxies is stirring up this scene captured in high resolution by JWST. Known as galaxy-cluster SMACS 0723, this group of galaxy bending and warping the light from more distant galaxies behind them, stretching and repeating their appearances. This deep-field image, covers a tiny area of sky visible from the Southern-Hemisphere, depicting SMACS 0723 cluster that is 4.6 billion light-years from Earth in the constellation of Volans.
Our understanding of what constitutes our universe and how it came about is still evolving, just as the universe itself is evolving.
Light from these galaxies took billions of years to reach us. We are looking back in time to within a billion years after the big bang when viewing the youngest galaxies in this field. The light was stretched by the expansion of the universe to infrared-wavelengths that Webb was designed to observe.
The combined mass of this galaxy-cluster acts as a gravitational lens, magnifying much more distant galaxies behind it. Webb’s NIRCam has brought those distant galaxies into sharp focus; they have tiny, faint structures that have never been seen before, including star-clusters and diffuse features.
Webb’s first observations tell the story of the hidden Universe through every phase of cosmic history from neighboring exoplanets to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe, to everything in between.
When we go through all this – the only firm conclusion we can draw is this that “WE DONT YET KNOW ANYTHING COMPLETELY” everything is Work In Progress!
The image exposes numerous galaxies and astronomical objects in just a tiny fraction of the surrounding universe. NASA says, “This Webb’s image is approximately the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length by someone on the ground and reveals thousands of galaxies in a tiny sliver of vast the universe.” But still described a whole lot that we don’t know. It is expected to provide answers to all those questions which we don’t even know how to frame yet.
Deep-field, taken by Webb’s NIRCam, is a composite made from images at different wavelengths, totaling an exposure of 12.5 hours and achieving depths at infrared wavelengths beyond the Hubble Space Telescope’s deepest fields, which took weeks.
Carrying 4-instruments NIRCam, NIRSpec, NIRISS and MIRI, JWST has multiple mode of operations, primary mirror of 6.5 meter in diameter and has an operational life up-to 10 years including 5.5 years of primary mission. And in all this time period it would continue to deliver the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe.
It would be able to see what the universe looked like around a quarter of a billion years (possibly back to 100 million years) after the Big Bang, when the first stars and galaxies formed. That may rework our understanding of how the universe evolved from the earliest galaxies to today.
Launched on 25th December 2021 on an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana. Webb is intended to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) as NASA’s flagship mission in astrophysics, which may ultimately reshape our understanding of how galaxies changed and evolved over billions of years. JWST opens a new era of discovery for the scientific community and serves as an inspiration to space-exploration enthusiasts everywhere.
There were some other images as well that were released later that day.
“Cosmic Cliffs” of the Carina Nebula
The “Cosmic Cliffs” of the Carina Nebula
The “Cosmic Cliffs” of the Carina Nebula are seen in an image divided horizontally by an undulating line between a cloudscape forming a nebula along the bottom portion and a comparatively clear upper portion, showcasing Webb’s camera capabilities to peer through the cosmos to the dawn of the universe.
These so-called cliffs some towering about 7 light-years high are speckled with glittering, young stars imaged in infrared light. This stellar nursery with glistening individual baby stars, whose ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds shape undulating line of dust and gas.
Stephan Quintet Galaxy Group
The Stephan Quintet galaxy group
With its powerful, infrared vision and extremely high resolution, Webb shows never-before-seen details in the Stephan Quintet galaxy group, a visual grouping of five galaxies.
This single image contains over 150 million pixels & is constructed from almost 1000 separate image files.
Sparkling clusters of millions of young stars and starburst regions of fresh star birth grace the image. Sweeping tails of gas, dust and stars are being pulled from several of the galaxies due to gravitational interactions.
Southern Ring Planetary Nebula
Southern Ring Planetary Nebula
This is the Southern Ring Planetary Nebula – NGC 3132 situated 2500 light-years from Earth. The central dying star send out rings of gas and dust for thousands of years in all direction.
Dying star in a center of a planetary nebula.
This observation of a planetary nebula from the JWST NIRCam instrument uncover subtle properties and exceptional structure.
The common theme running through all the amazing JWST images is how dynamic the universe is! The images of galaxies and stars and nebulae are snapshots in time of an ever-changing and evolving cosmos.
Marine biology studies marine life based on scientific research and facts. It is a very vast field since a large number of living organisms on Earth live underwater. Marine biology is interlinked with other science fields like astronomy, biological oceanography, cellular biology, chemistry, ecology, geology, physical oceanography, and zoology. It helps to study the behaviors and interactions of these living entities. It is not limited to studying living organisms ranging from tiny insects to giant animals. Still, it also covers their habitats and the benefits they give to the environment and human beings.
Since lack of resources to fulfill the everyday needs of the masses is becoming a significant issue, especially in developing countries, the utilization of marine life and its rich habitat full of minerals and other valuable materials could prove to be a sigh of relief for the millions of people around the world. From providing food and medicines to enhancing nature’s beauty, marine life contributes in numerous ways to aid benefits to the environment. We will discuss some of the essential applications of marine biology in this article.
SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE
It is an excellent source of knowledge, as evident from many research fields related to marine biology. Biomedical researchers develop and test the efficacy of drugs, many of which are obtained from marine life. Environmental biology and toxicology are other essential research fields that directly impact our society as they check water quality and look for contamination in the marine environment.
Advancements in technology have helped marine biologists devise new instruments and formulate new techniques for collecting water samples and temperature information. Marine biologists have obtained information about aquatic organisms and their habitats with the help of underwater cameras, advanced diving equipment, television, and submarines. Jacques Rougerie, a French architect, has designed a $48 million underwater laboratory to help marine biologists observe and study organisms while living underwater.
Food, water, medicines, and shelter are some of the most essential and basic needs fulfilled by marine life.
SOURCE OF BASIC NEEDS OF SOCIETY
Although the population on Earth is increasing daily, the amount of resources available on Earth is insufficient to cater to their needs. That is where marine life has contributed so much to this ecosystem. Food, water, medicines, and shelter are some of the most essential and basic needs fulfilled by marine life.
Approximately 70% of the protein we consume comes from marine life. It is also the primary source of Omega-3 fatty acid, which is highly effective against various chronic diseases. Technological advancements and research related to marine biology have made it possible to utilize the marine environment to produce multiple compounds used in preservatives, pigments, stabilizers, food ingredients, and dietary supplements.
SOURCE OF TOURISM
According to United Nations World Tourism Organization, the number of international tourist trips worldwide reached 1.3 billion in 2017, and is predicted to reach 1.8 billion by 2030. The World Travel Tourism Council suggests that the marine tourism industry will create 400 million jobs and contribute 25% of worldwide job creation. Although it can bring economic prosperity to the lives of everyone involved, it can also harm the infrastructure. Therefore, proper planning is required to balance the positive and negative effects of tourism on the community.
The business sector may significantly promote ocean and sea protection through tourism, which may be one of the best strategies available. Hotels can support programs to inform visitors about marine life and species, including dolphins, whales, and coral reefs, and sponsor campaigns to increase awareness about maritime vulnerabilities.
The business sector may significantly promote ocean and sea protection through tourism
REGULATION OF EARTH CLIMATE
Marine organisms significantly regulate the Earth’s climate by contributing to the oxygen cycle and absorbing carbon dioxide. According to marine biologists, about 50% – 70% of the total oxygen on Earth comes from the ocean, produced by plants, algae, and some bacteria. Prochlorococcus, the smallest and most abundant photosynthetic organism on Earth, has up to 20% of the oxygen in our entire biosphere.
As the Earth warms, more carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. The sea is the most significant atmospheric absorber of carbon dioxide. Its ability to absorb carbon dioxide exceeds that of all forests combined.
PROTECTION OF SHORELINE
Large underwater structures known as coral reefs are responsible for the protection of shorelines from storms and waves. According to reports, about three times as much waste is thrown into oceans as the weight of fishes caught, destroying coral reefs and ultimately killing many underwater organisms.
Coastal communities depend heavily on coral reefs for shoreline protection as climate change intensifies storm strength and increases the likelihood of floods. Coral reefs act as a natural flood barrier by limiting wave energy by 97% due to their rigid structures. Continuous research is being carried out by marine biologists to spread awareness and protect the shores from the hazardous effects of industrial and other environmental pollutants.
MEDICAL IMPORTANCE
Coral reefs are very similar to human bone in their anatomical features; that is why they have been utilized in bone grafting, assuring neat and clean healing of bones. Echinoderms and other invertebrates are being used in research on regenerating multiple organs. Sponges and other organisms produce chemicals, which are used to manufacture several pharmaceutical products.
Seaweed is used to treat cough, asthma, goiter, stomach, and urinary diseases and reduce ulcers and headaches. Omega-3 fatty acid, found in abundant amounts in seawater, contributes to hormone regulation, blood clotting, genetic function, etc. Pseudopterosins, a compound obtained from Sea whip, are used as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent, reducing swelling and skin irritation.
Quite against the contrary, the giant shark found in the oceans is not a full-time predator. It’s called a Whale shark and is happy to feed on filters and tiny fish like krill, devouring photosynthetic algae along the way.
The question of whether this sort of green food is sufficient for the Whale shark or whether it’s just an appetizer has scientists perplexed.
Researchers at the University of Tasmania scrutinized these large sharks’ excretions to find that the sharks were consuming krill. Still, much of it wasn’t being used for the benefit of their body. Whale sharks were obtaining a lot of nutrients from algae instead.
Finding abundant arachidonic acid in the skin tissue matched the high quantities of this fatty acid in the floating microalgae Sargassam in the oceans.
In Australia’s Institute of Marine Science, experts claimed to have proved that these sharks were omnivorous rather than pure carnivorous by fatty acid profile analysis of tissues. Finding abundant arachidonic acid in the skin tissue matched the high quantities of this fatty acid in the floating microalgae Sargassam in the oceans.
Later studies demonstrated that whale sharks ate several species of microfungi and plants that construct the food chain’s base. Other sharks like bonnetheads also have a taste for plants and algae and are found to eat seagrass. They inevitably gobble it up while catching small animals for prey like crabs, mollusks, and fish and have adapted to digest it.
Scientists seem to think a similar scenario also o happened with the whale sharks. Upon hunting the animals that live on algae, they have been chucking a lot of algae, adapted to digest it, and using the nutrients for their sustainability.
There is a disadvantage to feasting on everything that comes your way, though. Some plastics were also observed in the fecal matter of these sharks. These microplastics pollute ocean currents and are ingested by the sharks and the microflora, causing their metabolism to decrease and become dysfunctional. Whale sharks are already endangered animals, and their population has declined by an astounding 62 percent in the previous 75 years.
According to a surprising observation, giant land animals have always been herbivorous, like camels and elephants. It’s no different in the underwater world; these sharks are about six to ten meters long, but they still prefer a ‘little salad’ for a vegetarian touch along with their meat.
Over the years, science has brought about many innovations in the pharmaceutical industry. The discovery of new drugs has not just improved the life quality, but also extended the life span. About 50 percent of the drugs marketed are manufactured with the help of natural products, either by directly extracting them from natural sources or utilizing them as starting materials or templates.
However, new therapeutic agents are continuously required for treating diseases like neurodegenerative diseases, inflammatory diseases, fungal and viral infections, and different types of cancers for which no effective therapies have yet been discovered.
Moreover, the diseases like malaria and tuberculosis have also somehow become resistant to most of the drugs available already. The pathogenic organisms have developed resistance to the available antibiotics. Meanwhile, the antitumor cells have also developed resistance to the cancer cells and thus require the production of new drugs from new sources.
The marine environment that covers about 70 percent of our earth’s atmosphere comprises the representatives of almost every phylum. A minimal number of these species have been studied and isolated. The ocean consists of many unexploited resources such as marine microbes, animals, and plants that can utilize for novel chemical discoveries that have the potential to be used as pharmaceuticals.
The marine environment comprises more unexplored biodiversity than terrestrial habitats, which is why it has become a hot topic. Utilizing marine resources as pharmaceuticals were introduced into the scientific world by the pioneering research carried out by Bergmann in the 1950s, which resulted in the discovery of two drugs that are marine derives, and are also clinically available today.
These drugs were isolated from the shallow water marine sponge nucleoside and are available as anticancer drugs (Ara-C) for treating acute myelocytic leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The other drug is an antiviral (Ara-A) for treating herpes infections.
CURRENT STATUS OF THE DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT OF MARINE PHARMACEUTICALS
The richness in species of the ocean and its extraordinary diversity with a large temperature and pressure tolerance window, presence of a variety of chemicals and metals, saline nature, low to bright light, and allopathic defenses have attracted the pharmaceutical industries to the ocean, despite the small number of compounds isolated from it to date. Marine sources are believed to have treasurable therapeutic potential based on the unique dwelling inhabitant; hence, the ocean is being explored for its hidden potential.
Throughout five millennia of discovery, diverse spectrums of marine organisms, either prokaryotic or eukaryotic, have yielded over 30,000 metabolites. Carroll et al., 2021). It’s noteworthy that the products derived from the ocean are incredibly potent and act through multiple molecular pathways, and collectively can target different ailments.
Pharmaceutical and marine sciences have joined forces to conduct extensive research and development of marine medicine. Currently, many worldwide health organizations have clinically approved fifteen drugs of aquatic origin. They prevent or manage several prevalent medical maladies, including pain, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and viral illnesses (Wu et al., 2022).
“The Global Marine Pharmaceuticals Pipeline” analyses pharmaceuticals derived from marine sources and gives summaries of both approved and pending medications”.
CLASSIFICATION OF MARINE-DERIVED DRUGS. Photo Samra Hayat
Anti-caner drugs
The discovery of the nucleosides thymidine and uridine from the Caribbean sponge Tethya crypta brought about a paradigm shift in marine anticancer medication development. Antibody-drug conjugates are vital medicines generated from marine pharmaceuticals that are relatively new. All of them, including polatuzumab vedotin (PolivyTM), brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris®), enfortumab vedotin (PADCEVTM), and belantamab mafodotin (BlenrepTM), are authorized to treat various types of cancer. The marine tunicate Aplidium Albicans also embraces plitidepsin (Aplidin®), a cyclic depsipeptide anticancer medication.
According to preliminary research, three novel cerebrosides and cholesterol sulfate from the sea cucumber Holothuria spinifera show tremendous promise as novel cytotoxic therapeutic agents (Abdelhameed et al., 2020).
Antiviral drugs
Initial research on sponge nucleosides as prospective pharmaceuticals resulted in the discovery of vidarabine for managing acute keratoconjunctivitis and recurrent epithelial keratitis caused by herpes simplex types 1 and 2. However, its license was canceled in the United States by June 2001 due to its restricted therapeutic window.
Even so, The antiviral activity of a wide range of natural compounds derived from aquatic ecosystems is still being studied. Recently, Polyphosphate (polyP) produced from sponges and marine microbes, in particular, has been found to protect against COVID-19.
In fact, according to Lee and colleagues, throughout the previous 30 decades of studies, about half of the pharmacologically functional marine compounds have been linked back to sponges (Lee, et al., 2020).
Analgesic drugs
Ziconotide may be used as an alternative to opiates in managing pain. It’s a peptide from poison found in the deadly marine cone snail Conus magus. Clinical trials have demonstrated ziconotide’s efficacy against malignant and non-cancerous pain. It does not create dependency or cardiogenic shock as opiates do.
Cardioprotective drugs
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been shown to protect cognitive functions as people age and to reduce blood-circulatory diseases such as thromboembolism and coronary artery disease. Ethyl esters of PUFAs (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) are authorized cardioprotective medicines made by esterifying natural fatty acids in fish oil.
Neuroprotective drugs
Pharmaceutical researchers now use the active chemicals obtained in conjunction with the immediate usage of polymers created by diverse marine species to produce more specialized medications than the parent component. Sodium oligomannate (GV-971), an oligosaccharide extracted from seaweed, has received its first approval as a therapy for Alzheimer’s in China. It is a significant example of a molecular-designed drug using marine chemicals (Syed, 2020).
CONCLUSION
Recent advances in the discovery, approval and medical application of marine natural chemicals demonstrate significant promise. Significant interdisciplinary collaboration will be required between biologists, chemists, biotechnologists, pharmacists, doctors, and others, as well as between institutions, hospitals, and businesses, to address various challenges and effectively utilize marine life’s potential for drug development in the future.
REFERENCES
Abdelhameed, R. F., Eltamany, E. E., Hal, D. M., Ibrahim, A. K., AboulMagd, A. M., Al-Warhi, T., … & Abdelmohsen, U. R. (2020). New cytotoxic cerebrosides from the red sea cucumber Holothuria spinifera are supported by in-silico studies. Marine drugs, 18(8), 405.
Wu, A. C., Jelielek, K. K., Le, H. Q., Butt, M., Newman, D. J., Glaser, K. B., … & Mayer, A. M. (2022). The 2021 Marine Pharmacology and Pharmaceuticals Pipeline. The FASEB Journal, 36.
Lee, Yeon-Ju, Yeonwoo Cho, and Huynh Nguyen Khanh Tran. “Secondary metabolites from the marine sponges of the genus Petrosia: A literature review of 43 years of research.” Marine Drugs 19, no. 3 (2021): 122.
Papon, N., Copp, B. R., & Courdavault, V. (2022). Marine drugs: Biology, pipelines, current and future prospects for production. Biotechnology Advances, 54, 107871.
Pakistan has diversified its natural capital from a long coast to the world’s second-highest mountain peak (K2). The 990 kilometers long coastline shared by the coastal provinces of Sindh and Balochistan leads to the maritime zones of Pakistan. The vital sea turtle nesting beaches along the Pakistan coast include Sandspit and Hawksbay beaches near Karachi, Ormara-Taq Beach, Astola Island, and 17 Daran beaches along the Makran coast. These beaches are nesting sites of sea turtles that lay their eggs on these beaches from July to December.
Saadeqa Khan, Chief Editor Scientia Pakistan, spoke to Dr. M Shoaib Kiani, a senior professor at the Institute of Marine Sciences Karachi University, about the issues the coastal belt of Sindh and Balochistan are facing.
Saadeqa: Let us know the scope of marine biology in Pakistan and the research on marine life,especially Turtles?
Dr. Kiani: Marine Biology and Marine Science as subjects are being taught at Karachi University (i.e., Institute of Marine Science and Centre of Excellence in Marine Biology) and the Lasbela University of Agriculture Water and Marine Science. These universities run different degree programs B. Sc. (Hons.), BS, M.Sc., M.Phil. and Ph.D. programs. Additionally, various national and international level conferences, symposia, training sessions, and seminars are organized from time to time.
Over the years, these institutions have done a pretty good job in producing human resources to work in Marine Science and allied fields. However, the fact cannot be negated that not all graduates of these institutions get proper jobs in relevant GOs and NGOs. Perhaps the most striking reasons for this include a lack of proactive approach by the management of these institutions in sourcing job opportunities and linkages with job providers, lack of proper training, and absence of career counseling services.
Others include the in-built and long-standing issues of most of our educational institutions. Many of these problems are related to the shortage of human resources and proper funding. These institutions must be led by able and merit-based leadership with progress and an extension-oriented visionary approach.
Promoting Marine Science and allied fields and transforming courses and teaching methodologies to streamline with modern trends is necessary. The current scenario of the rapid degradation of marine resources and declining biodiversity demands more problem-solving research and collaborative and large-scale studies.
Part two of your first question pertains to research on marine turtles in these institutions. But first, I would like to stress the uniqueness of aquatic turtles as animals and their very long evolutionary history. Marine turtles have been present on the face of our planet ever since the presence of dinosaurs in the Jurassic period, i.e., since 201 Million Years ago. If we look into the fact that dinosaurs became extinct a very long time ago, these turtles continue till today, with very little change in their structure.
Promoting Marine Science and allied fields and transforming courses and teaching methodologies to streamline with modern trends is necessary.
This makes their evolutionary history quite remarkable and outstanding. But we should remember that although marine turtles remained resilient during drastic changes on earth throughout their existence, they remained resilient.
In today’s age of man’s domination over other life forms (called Anthropocene) and many man-made catastrophes, all species of marine turtles find it extremely hard to cope. As a result, all seven species of marine turtles have been declared “Endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
These turtles face an uncertain future and multiple challenges, especially habitat degradation. Their habitats are being affected by human activity quite rapidly. Moreover, some common conservation issues include illegal wildlife trade, accidental entanglements in fishing gear, pollution, poaching, using several body parts in medicines, and stealing their eggs from their nests before hatching. This species has a survival rate of only one percent. But of every hundred hatchlings, only one reaches adulthood. The rest either serve as food for natural predators or fall prey to various human activities.
Regarding research on marine turtles, the Department of Zoology, the University of Karachi, in collaboration with the Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF-P), has conducted pioneering and classical studies on turtle nesting performance, hatchlings recovery, and ex-situ transfer for controlled release into the ocean. Dr. Fehmeeda Firdous conducted the study as part of her Ph.D. She has started some astonishing findings in her Ph.D. thesis, which provide beneficial insights into these amazing creatures’ lives and serve as a guide for future research.
Saadeqa: What affective part is Wildlife Pakistan playing in such marine science research projects?
Dr. Kiani: WWF-P has done a lot of work in the coastal areas of Karachi like Hawks Bay and Sandspit turtle nesting beach, specifically on safeguarding turtle nests, control of poaching and natural predators, e.g., feral dogs, recovery of hatchlings and their safe release into the sea. Meanwhile, a few studies on marine turtles have been conducted by the Center of Excellence in Marine Biology, University of Karachi. Currently, a bunch of students of mine at the Institute of Marine Science and I are working on two projects on marine turtles.
One is regarding research on turtles’ illegal trade, which a B.Sc. Hons level research project and another one is on the prevalence of microplastics in Hawkes Bay turtle nesting beach sediments. Both projects came up with intriguing findings emphasizing regular and more focused studies on marine turtles.
We found that microplastics are abundant and have the capacity for more heat, thus possibly raising the temperature of turtle nesting beaches. A few studies showed that it affected the sex ratio of eggs, and more females were born. Hence sex ratio is disturbed in such temperatures.
“Microplastics are abundant and have the capacity for more heat, thus possibly raising the temperature of turtle nesting beaches.”
Another worth mentioning research effort on marine turtles in Pakistan is by WWF-Pakistan, in which they put satellite tags on some green turtles to study their whereabouts, home range, associated behavior, and conservation issues some years back. This is an example of the use of modern, sophisticated technology in marine research in Pakistan. I am firmly in favor of initiating more such studies so that we get to know more about their lives.
Another effort by the Ministry of Environment’s Pakistan Wetlands Programme (PWP), which began in 2005, is also on record. Under this project, research was conducted in Karachi and Balochistan (Daran Beach) coastal areas on turtle nesting and its performance. They have published their work, which can search online.
In the coming years, we want to considerably increase our understanding of marine turtles, which can only be accomplished if we raise the scope of our studies to par with international research. Marine turtles feature in our priority species for the next five years, and we will try to tackle a lack of good scientific data for their optimal conservation and management.
Saadeqa: What should Government and academic institutions do to raise awareness of marine sciences among fishers and the general public?
Dr. Kiani: To raise awareness on marine ecosystems in the general public, scientists and professionals need to highlight those aspects of marine science which are attractive to familiar people, like flagship species, and can stimulate them to ponder upon their current status and issues, and need for their conservation. One surprising fact is that we people in Pakistan have never appreciated the sea and the coastal areas. We always regard the sea as mind-boggling and have never tried to study and understand it. Our communities, specifically in inland areas, have mere awareness of the sea and marine science and its concepts.
I teach students of B.Sc. Hons and M.Sc. level. These students mainly come from the coastal areas of Karachi and the other regions of Pakistan. Still, during their early 3 to 4 semesters, the only question they have for us is regarding the scope of their degree in Marine Science. This is surprising because if we look worldwide right now, Marine Science is deemed one of the most popular and charismatic fields.
The thing is, we don’t have a proper channelization mechanism for our Marine science graduates. We have taken the ocean for granted and don’t optimally use its resources. We neither explore the blessings it contains nor think about the sustainable development of its resources.
Over here, no fish of the sea is commercially grown. If we haven’t been able to do such an essential thing, it speaks volumes of our inaction and apathy towards our ocean. Our neighboring countries are ahead of us in this field, for example, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, etc. We need to think about priorities for our institutions. Do we want to become degree-awarding institutes, or do we want skillful graduates? Can they achieve remarkable Marine Science goals and run big marine ventures, industries, and projects worth international recognition? A lot of close attention and supervision are required.
Saadeqa: What do you think, with increasing activities in the Marine Science department at KU and Lasbela University of Marine Sciences, can we motivate our youth for research in this field?
Dr. Kiani: Our institutions celebrate events throughout the year, like World Ocean Day, Turtle’s Day, Whale Shark’s Day, World Maritime Day, etc. All these and other similar ones like Seafarer’s Day see arrangements of workshops, seminars, symposiums, and pieces of training, etc. Many of these events inspire and motivate our students. Despite this, I would say that our universities (KU and LUOMS) should join hands with provinces to develop their marine science sector in the right direction.
We need to introduce courses of applied nature which should help us to solve our common problems, and from which our country’s produce from the oceans is improved. In this way, our exports can be significantly enhanced.
Previously, in the 80s and 90s, Pakistan had significant achievements. So we should work in this direction and prioritize these things. We should understand that as long as our economy does not diversify, we and our country cannot escape this crisis. If we only concentrate on agriculture and fill our plates with that, it is impossible in today’s age of science and technology to flourish. We should adopt and take such steps in every field to progress, develop institutes, and train our people in skills. I think our institutes are still not performing optimally. We need a good vision and comprehensive dialogue regarding priorities for the upcoming years. A clear example is the CPEC project. All we need is integrity, dedication, and professionalism.
Saadeqa: What is the role of the wildlife departments, whether provincial or at the district level, especially regarding the green sea turtles?
Dr. Kiani: I have highlighted in previous questions that the marine sciences institutes have faced many in-built problems; still, our departments have a few extraordinary achievements to their credit, which are remarkable and worth acknowledging. Like, I highlighted the Sindh Wildlife Department, which has banned the killing and trade of all turtles. Under the Wildlife Protection Act, it is a crime to kill them. From time to time, different amendments are made in these Acts to protect any new endangered species highlighted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
“Sindh Wildlife Department has banned the killing and trade of all turtles.”
Otherworld conservation organizations also exist that highlight these species and increase their level of protection. I would especially like to mention some endangered species like whale sharks, dolphins, whales, etc., that have recently received protective status. These additions are near approval by our assemblies and will be brought into action and enforcement soon. Balochistan Wildlife Department is doing precisely similar work and participating in these activities with great enthusiasm.
One thing which I much feel as a wildlife conservationist, working for the last fifteen years, is that our government institutes are a little bit more complacent and work while staying a bit reserved due to their limitations. If they have appropriate policies and five-year plans for their priorities, they can protect our country’s endangered species and biodiversity very efficiently. We can safeguard them for our future generations; secondly, they are an essential integral part of the habitat and ecosystem of our country.
And if we can establish ecotourism after proper research, it can also become a source of livelihood for our people. For example, people come to turtle-nesting beaches to watch turtles. And if they follow proper protocols and don’t disturb the turtles in any way, they can see turtles laying eggs in their natural habitat. This will meet their wish of seeing turtles living naturally in their wild habitat. It is crucial to work on proper guidelines and sustainable use of the wildlife so that future generations can take pride in their forefathers who left a good legacy for them to follow.
Saadeqa: What are the primary reasons behind the increasing death toll of Olive Turtles on the shores of Karachi and Balochistan coastal line?
Dr. Kiani: The accidental entanglements and deaths are rapidly increasing in our ocean despite the Wildlife Protection Act. Somehow, the implementation of this Act is lagging, and we cannot protect these turtles. So, here again, the reason is that the laws we make require a parallel process of scientific research and data collection and the data needed upon which we base our laws.
We need to keep collecting such data. Regarding this, we have done ground-breaking work with the coordination of Karachi University, WWF Pakistan, and some international organizations which funded us in 2011 and 2012. Indo- Pacific Fund for cetacean Research and Conservation by the Australian government and areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) projects and other small grants. Other than this, WWF-Pakistan, KU, and other leading institutes like Marine Fisheries Department cooperated with us, and we launched a project related to tuna gillnetters in the sea, which use fishing nets of the length of 2.5 km or above.
Occasionally, nets as long as 15 km also come across. These are regarded as “walls of death” in the ocean. All animals stuck in them, especially air breathers, can get entangled to death. In such entanglements, especially turtles that we mentioned before, seabirds, dolphins, whales, and mega-large fauna, including sharks, whales, etc., are all worth mentioning.
A shocking finding in the previous 4 to 5 years in this project is that, on the beaches of Pakistan, from the decade 1990 to 2000, turtles that came for egg-laying included green turtles and olive turtles.
But then, in the late 1990s, the olive turtles suddenly vanished and were not spotted nesting at beaches at all. They weren’t laying eggs anywhere either. Compared to this, the green turtles are still spotted on our shores in large numbers. Hawkes Beach (Karachi coast) is famous for nesting green turtles and features among the most significant beaches in the world for green turtle nesting.
The sudden disappearance of the Olive turtles posed a huge question mark as it was beyond our understanding. But we sent our observers on big Tuna fishing vessels and trained the captains of those ships and the crew to collect data for us. We gave them cameras, gadgets like Global Positioning System (GPS), and particular protocol forms to fill out for us. We learned that, even now, in the ocean, the olive turtle is present in a considerable number. Perhaps these turtle has disliked our beaches and is also not laying eggs there.
There was a time when we counted 28000 plus turtles of mixed species in our nets. And the boats that I am mentioning are tuna fishing vessels. About 700 big and small ships work in Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). So we got to know that the turtles are there in such a considerable number.
Saadeqa: Besides sea Turtles, what are the major threats to other marine species?
Dr. Kiani: Thousands of dolphins were counted to die each year in Tuna fishing gillnets. This was extrapolated from the figures obtained from observers onboard tuna fishing vessels. In analytical science, “to extrapolate” means that we forecast further with the help of our sample data. We learned that nearly 12000 dolphins and 28000 turtles are dying annually. This was an eye-opener and quite shocking to hear. We worked on gear modification with our fishers and told them to use the eco-friendly gear. Unintended wildlife should not get stuck in the net and die.
An example is attaching pingers that create sounds heard by dolphins/turtles beforehand, and they become alert and do not come near the fishing net. Similarly, a turtle Excluder device (TED) is used in shrimp trawl nets. It is like a small door for the escape of turtles stuck in shrimp trawl nets.
We also devised a little technique for modifying the fishing methods to reduce dolphin mortality in tuna gill netting by our own experience. If fishers attach a weight with fishing gears, they submerge about 2m deep in water instead of remaining on the surface; thus, the mortality rate decreases.
This method was tested in some boats, and after achieving promising results, many boats were approached to adopt this new modification in tuna gillnetting. As a result, the figures for the next season showed less than 100 dolphins, and low 10s of turtles died due to entanglement in tuna gillnets.
It was a significant success, and it earned immense appreciation and acknowledgment on the international level. Much literature is available on the Internet, especially on the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission website. You will find reports of dolphins and sharks in Pakistan over there.
Oceans are reservoirs that influence climatic shifts when engaged in a perpetual cycle of moisture, heat, and carbon exchange with the atmosphere. From shaping the regional weather patterns up to global climate, oceans are the hub of climatic variations.
The vicious cycle of biological and physical processes within oceans determines the patterns of slowly changing global climate patterns. Three prime factors that drive the ocean’s impact on global climate:
Its ability to absorb solar radiation.
The large water capacity of water slowly releases the absorbed heat back into the atmosphere.
The released heat drives the atmospheric cycle, including the formation of cloud cover, the rainfall patterns and the removal of carbon dioxide from land/atmosphere.
We will magnify the crux of the process that propels the climatic variations. Atmosphere, inform of winds, and oceans, inform of ocean currents, play a role in this system. The warm winds from the equatorial planes travel towards the ice-covered poles. These warm winds direct the movement of warm ocean currents to the same destination. Due to high water capacity, the heat from the ocean water is released rather slowly into the atmosphere.
During heat loss to the environment, the water temperature decreases. Cool water tends to sink towards the bottom of the oceans while warm reaching the surface. The entire motion of ocean currents described above is known as the Global Ocean Conveyer Belt. This phenomenon makes the ocean the thermal memory of the climate system.
The biological entity underwater traps a significant amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It acts as both the source and sink of carbon dioxide production, influencing the carbon dioxide concentrations in atmospheric surroundings. The ocean’s temperature regulates the level of carbon dioxide being released or absorbed into the water. Cold water dissolves more carbon dioxide than warm water. Phytoplankton and plants consume carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrates and nutrients, respectively.
Over millions of years, a small amount of carbon dioxide becomes part of underwater reserves such as oil. The ocean conveyer belt aids in trapping carbon dioxide for years in the deeper cool ocean waters. Once the water is warmed up by solar radiation, the warm water dissipates carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. Thus, the ocean and land are in a cycle of subsequent release and absorption of carbon dioxide.
Global Ocean Conveyer Belt
The global ocean conveyer belt system is what keeps the planet warm. Water absorbs and retains solar energy and releases it into the atmosphere via evaporation. The evaporation causes an increase in the temperature and humidity of the air surrounding the oceans resulting in rain and storms that are then carried by trade winds.
Global Ocean Conveyer Belt
Oceans transport precipitation and warm winds from tropical regions to poles and cool water from poles back to equatorial pains in a continuous cycle. Thus, ocean currents aid in heat and moisture distribution across the globe. The effect of the ocean conveyer belt can be seen in the phases of El Nina and La Nina.
El Nino (warmer phase) and La Nina (more relaxed phase) are two phases of a much larger phenomenon, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. The complex weather patterns affect the precipitation, upwelling of nutrients within oceans, trade winds, and events of floods and droughts worldwide. This further affects the economy of the countries involved, their social relief, and food availability. The table below shows some significant differences between these two phases of ENSO.
The aftermath of the El Nina and La Nina phases is significant. ENSO in southern Asia contributes to approximately 10%-20% aberration in world GDP. ENSO negatively affects South Asian Indian monsoons as during the given period, the subcontinent experience less monsoon rainfall. South Asian countries (Pakistan, Bangladesh, India) are primarily agricultural-driven economic countries. The unpredictability of timings, amount, and areas of heavy monsoon precipitation can devastate water supplies, crop growth, food availability, and employment rates, especially in rural areas.
ENSO events indicate a potential menace to Pakistan’s economy. Weak monsoon trade winds over the Bay of Bengal result in less monsoon rainfall in Pakistan. A decrease in precipitation is a potent threat to water availability leading to drought conditions in Pakistan. Moreover, La Nina phases bring along high rainfall, which might affect the quality of wheat crops, especially for the 2021 financial year. Lack of snowfall in northern regions means less melted water towards low-lying areas, a nuisance for crop irrigation. The conditions can worsen if the wheat crop production falls short of the demand, ultimately causing escalated prices and inflation.
Pakistan experiences an overall shortage of water during the ENSO cycle. La Nina brings along more than average rainfall; however, dams’ lack of storage capacity (Tarbela, Mangla) leads to little to no water storage. The excess water due to precipitation becomes a cause of floods in low-lying areas. El Nina cycles result in less rainfall, meaning water scarcity for irrigation. To compensate for this, water is directed from dams (primarily used for electricity production) which depletes the large water reserves present within the country.
Global climate and ocean currents also affect the local daily weather (precipitation/storms). Though this relation between cause and effect is mainly unclear, recent studies concluded that changes in ocean currents of the Atlantic Ocean are attributed to variation in rainfall in Western Hemisphere.
The adverse effects of ENSO cycles on Pakistan will continue to linger as a threat to Pakistan’s economy if appropriate measures are not taken. The Metrological Department of Pakistan should consider these changing weather patterns as a grave emergency and monitor the weather patterns. A pivotal step will be passing the weather-related information to farmers so that they can take necessary precautions timely.
“The greatest danger to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it”- Robert Swan
