Truth of the Ocean

It is not too much to say that water is life. Our planet is the only one in our entire solar system which has been blessed with water and ocean. You may recall that our earth is often called' a watery planet' as 71% of the earth's surface is covered by the oceans with all the adventures and challenges they provide both to man and science. Today, parts of the world ocean are intensively exploited for recreation, military purposes, commercial shipping, fishing, extraction of gases, oil and other mineral resources

Mangrove Ecosystems of Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu

The world's total mangrove area which spans over 30 countries including those for the various island nations is about 1,00,000 sq. km. The total area of the Indian mangroves is estimated at 6,81,976 hectares of which nearly 45% occurs in Sunderbans and the islands in the Bay of Bengal

Hydrological conditions of marine fish culture ponds and adjacent inshore waters of Palk Bay near Mandapam during the North-East Monsoon period

In recent years, attempts were being made in India to utilise the coastal lagoons, estuaries and other water bodies for fish culture practices by which the protein uptake of our masses could be increased. Tampi (1960) has proved that the coastal lagoons with low biological productivity can be developed into fish farm

Relationship between period and phase angle differences in Mus booduga under abrupt versus gradual light-dark transitions

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Observations on whale shark Rhineodon typus (Smith) caught at Pamban, Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar

A male whale shark Rhineodon typus of 688 cm in total length caught in a No.4 gill net was landed on 20-01 -2001 at Pamban light house landing centre. The whale shark was estimated to weigh around 1.5 tonnes

Identifying effective communication channels in a rural community: A field report from south India

Background: There is scarcity of information on communication channels in rural areas where about 38% of people are illiterate. Objective: To identify the channels of communication available in rural areas by interviewing key informants. Method: This study was conducted in 51 villages of Ellapuram block, Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu in the year 2004. Key informants selected from the villages were interviewed by a Medical Social Worker. The questionnaire included information on modes of communication channels, availability of markets, public facilities, and local associations. Result: The study block included 9893 households covering a population of 39255. Their main occupation was agriculture (86%). Electricity was available in all the villages. More than 80% of the villagers had community TV/cable connections, >50% of the villages had cinema star fan associations, mahila mandals, youth clubs, self-help groups, anganwadi centres and ration shops. The main source of communication as per interview was television (100%), wallposters (55%); publicity through panchayat office meetings (53%) and dandora or beat of drums(43%). Conclusion: Main communication channels, commonly used to disseminate information were TV and wall posters. More than 50% of villages had local associations which can be used for effective communication. This information is vital for disseminating important information on public health programmes and educating the rural community

Hydrographic parameters off Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay during an year of abnormal rainfall

The results of monthly observations on the hydrographic parameters in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay during the period 2002-03 are reported. The meteorological parameters for the period have also been compiled. The area received 1120mm rainfall during the period as against a normal of 760mm. Maximum wind velocity of 16.2km/hr was in June and humidity of 78% in December. A comparison of the parameters of temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, primary productivity and biomass of both the ecosystems is presented

Psycho-social dysfunction: Perceived and enacted stigma among tuberculosis patients registered under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme.

Objective: To examine the perceived and enacted stigma experienced by TB patients and the community. Methods: We interviewed 276 TB patients registered for treatment during January-March 2004 in government health facilities of two Tuberculosis Units of south India. Data on perceived and enacted stigma were collected after two months of starting treatment, using a semi-structured interview schedule. In addition, four Focus Group Discussions were conducted among Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) providers and community members. Narrative summaries were also taken down to collect additional qualitative information. Results: Of the 276 patients, 190 (69%) were males. There was no significant difference between the genders in relation to social stigma. Perceived stigma was higher than enacted stigma in both genders and significantly higher among males (Low self esteem p<0.05), change of behavior of community (p<0.05), ashamed to cough in front of others (p<0.05). Conclusion: Considering the social and emotional impact of the disease, it is essential to adopt support strategies to enhance acceptance and for a successful health programme

Experimental cultivation of Gracilaria edulis at Valinokkam Bay

Experimental field cultivation of the agar yielding red alga Gracilaria edulis was carried out at Valinokkam Bay from May 1992 to April 1994 at 1.5 to 3.0 m depths using 2x2 m size coir rope nets fabricated with 1" thick coir ropes and 1" thick long line coir ropes. The seedlings cultured on nets and long line ropes during May to December in 1992 and 1993 degenerated due to sedimentation and low light intensity. The growth of G. edulis seedlings from January to April during 1993 and 1994 was good and reached harvestable size of 14.4 cm and 22.9 cm (mean length) after 45 and 90 days respectively. Harvest could not be made, as many of the grown up plants were grazed by fishes. Data collected on environmental and hydrological parameters from the culture site at fortnightly interval were correlated with the growth of cultured seaweed. The result obtained in this experiment is compared with the results on the experimental field cultivation of G.edulis carried out in the near shore areas of Mandapam and lagoon of Minicoy and Lakshadwee