Impact of diesel spill on Acanthus ilicifolius at Mangalavanam

This paper explains the death and drying up of Acanthus ilicifolius population at mud flats of Managalavanam due to the impact of diesel spill

Cryobanking potentials of marine shrimp gametes

For developing marine shrimp industry through aquaculture technology, one of the major constraints is non-availability of sufficient seed and spawners to produce seed at the desired time. Cryopreservation of gametes of aquatic animals in contrast to the situation in other vertebrates particularly mammals has met with a very limited success. Very few attempts have been made on cryopreservation of sperms in decapod crustaceans in general and marine shrimps in particular. Efforts are now being made continuously on cryopreservation and cryobanking of penaeid gametes. The viable spermatozoa of P. indicus and P. monodon havebeen successfully preserved in CMFRI

A stepping-stone in developing marine fish gene bank

The science of cryogenic preservation of fertile semen is not only meant for understanding the basic life secret, but also propagating living resources in long run. Efforts are being continuously made world over to evolve suitable methods of obtaining sperms through creation of gamete banks so that through artificial fertilization one will be able to produce the seeds at any time of the year. The central marine fisheries research institute engaged actively for the past 3 years in cryopreservation studies. Through the extensive Research efforts a breakthrough was made in evolving a viable technique for short term and long term preservation of sperm motility of fish liza parsia at —10°c and —196°c temperature respectivel

Mangroves of India : Biodiversity, Conservation and Management

Mangroves are salt-tolerant plants of tropical and subtropical intertidal regions of the world. The specific regions where these plants occur are termed as 'mangrove ecosystem'. These are highly productive but extremely sensitive and fragile. Besides mangroves, the ecosystem also harbours other plant and animal species

Combining technologies to create bioactive hybrid scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

Combining technologies to engineer scaffolds that can offer physical and chemical cues to cells is an attractive approach in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. In this study, we have fabricated polymer-ceramic hybrid scaffolds for bone regeneration by combining rapid prototyping (RP), electrospinning (ESP) and a biomimetic coating method in order to provide mechanical support and a physico-chemical environment mimicking both the organic and inorganic phases of bone extracellular matrix (ECM). Poly(ethylene oxide terephthalate)-poly(buthylene terephthalate) (PEOT/PBT) block copolymer was used to produce three dimensional scaffolds by combining 3D fiber (3DF) deposition, and ESP, and these constructs were then coated with a Ca-P layer in a simulated physiological solution. Scaffold morphology and composition were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled to energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX) and Fourier Tranform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Bone marrow derived human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) were cultured on coated and uncoated 3DF and 3DF + ESP scaffolds for up to 21 d in basic and mineralization medium and cell attachment, proliferation, and expression of genes related to osteogenesis were assessed. Cells attached, proliferated and secreted ECM on all the scaffolds. There were no significant differences in metabolic activity among the different groups on days 7 and 21. Coated 3DF scaffolds showed a significantly higher DNA amount in basic medium at 21 d compared with the coated 3DF + ESP scaffolds, whereas in mineralization medium, the presence of coating in 3DF+ESP scaffolds led to a significant decrease in the amount of DNA. An effect of combining different scaffolding technologies and material types on expression of a number of osteogenic markers (cbfa1, BMP-2, OP, OC and ON) was observed, suggesting the potential use of this approach in bone tissue engineerin

Hydrographic features off northeast coast and Andaman - Nicobar Islands in relation to demersal finfish resources

Temperature varied from 17.6 to 28.5°C, salinity values from 32.12 to 35.21 x 10"" and dissolved oxygen from 0.8 to 4.41 ml/1. No identifiable relationship could be established between these three parameters and the total fish abundance, probably because the catch was made up of many species having different requirements. Higher abundance of trawl catches was from January to May when bottom water temperature was relatively low. The highest level of abundance of 2764 kg/hr in February 1989 was recorded when the parameters were 26°C, 33.6 x 10" and 2.71 ml/1; and the lowest level of 43.2 kg/hr in July 1988 was when the parameters were 25.3°C, 34.48 x 10'^ and 1.6 ml/1

Physico chemical parameters: Water

The measured parameters can be stored and recorded through a printer in the laboratory . The portable instruments ensure speedy, in situ and accurate measurement of different parameters of water and sediment The instruments eliminate the risk of storage , transportation and preservation of large number of samples These instruments can save the recurring expenditure needed for chemicals, costly reagents and sample containers

Salinity changes in the estuary and the coastal sea adjacent to the portmouth at Cochin

The article deals with the details of salinity changes in the Cochin estuary and its influence and interrelations with the Vembanad lake