Smelly foam near Indian coast is algal layer, no traces of pollution from shipwreck: Scientist

The foul-smelling foam and sea-water appearing to be polluted along the Rameswaram coast is the result of an algal bloom owing to prevailing weather conditions, a senior Scientist confirmed to Zee Media. This confirmation comes at a time when there were apprehensions among sections of fishermen about the foam being caused by the sinking of a chemical-laden ship off Colombo, almost 240kms away.

Speaking to WION, Dr Jayakumar, Principal Scientist, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute(CMFRI), Mandapam said that the foaming was a result of the southwest monsoon and the blooming of algae - Trichodesmium erythraeum.

Speaking of the weather-related factors, he said, “There is an increased nutrient level in the water, whereas wind action and the water current is low, but the water temperature is fairly high. The brown looking foam has been washing ashore, but it has subsided”.

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When asked about the possibility of the chemicals from the sunken ship had reached the Southern Indian coast, he said that routine sample collection by their teams and the surveillance by Coast Guard, Navy did not indicate any such pollution travelling to or having reached the Indian side. He also added that the stretch of nearly 200kms between Nagapattinam and Ramanathapuram districts are being monitored by field staff.

Regarding the nature of chemicals and their ability to travel over 240km kilometres across the ocean, he said that nitric acid (reported to be one of the cargo)would dissolve in the seawater and would show an increased nitrate level. He added that only jelly and plastic materials tended to travel and drift with the current.

Mentioning the scenario on the Sri Lankan Coast, he said that the death of turtles, dolphins and plastic granules in fish gills was noticed. However, nothing of this kind was observed along the Indian coast, which they have been monitoring for over a month.

Zee media had earlier reported on the foaming phenomenon, based on the versions of fishermen and images, videos from the Rameswaram region. Their fear, (which has now been allayed by the scientists) pointed towards the chemical-laden ship MV X-Press Pearl, which sunk off the Sri Lankan Coast(between Colombo and Negombo). The ship caught fire around the last week of May and sunk in the first week of June. Among other chemicals, the ship’s cargo consisted of highly inflammable Nitric Acid, Methanol, Methyl Acetate, Sodium Hydroxide and Polystyrene beads.