From Palk Bay to Pacific Coast

Save Palk Bay Seagrass

Exploring Palk Bay Seagrass Bed on 23rd Apr. 2015 (not with good housing)

I explored seagrass beds on 23rd april to have some video shots associated flora and fauna for education.

it was only 5m depth in low tide, where first 5 feet water was clear, and the remaining 10 feet close to bottom was turbid.

This huge seagrass beds of Palk Bay is a home to sea cows, sea horses and many more very interesting species...

I thought gopro normal housing will give same focus and good pictures, but it is not.  See selfie with seagrasses is not clear as other pictures).

Have to go again with new underwater housing to capture this magnificent location, which is about 5km from the coast 

the beds is a mixture of two species, Cymodocea serrulata and Syringodium isoetifolium

The seagrasses waves with water current flows to northeast during low tide and the reverse in high tide.

See the tiny leaves on the sea floor which another speices of seagrass Halophila ovalis

Waiting for the boat pickup after dive.  

See the photo is clear with normal gopro 2 housing outside.

Fact:

Go pro is the best ready to shoot camera, but needs some extra care when shooting underwater.  If you havegopro hero, hero 2 models, you have to buy a separate underwater housing or then you will be exhausted at the end of diving (see my picture)  for nothing :)

அலைப்பயணம் - article from பயணி Magazine (April 2015)

நன்றி:  கூத்தலிங்கம் மற்றும் வன்மீ - புதிய பயணி

அலைப்பயணம் - article from பயணி Magazine (March 2015)

நன்றி:  கூத்தலிங்கம் மற்றும் வன்மீ - புதிய பயணி 

அலைப்பயணம் - article from பயணி Magazine (February 2015)

நன்றி:  கூத்தலிங்கம் மற்றும் வன்மீ - புதிய பயணி

OMCAR Received India Geospatial Excellence Award.

OMCAR Foundation received this award on 10th February 2015 during India Geo spatial Forum 2015, held at Hyderabad International Convention Center. This national award is given for our project funded by Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. Thanks to all my co workers, volunteers, villagers and Government of India. For more information about this project click here http://omcar.org/user/research.aspx?ID=7

 India Geospatial Forum 2015

Received the award from Hon. Secretary of Ministry of Earth Science, Government of India

 Received the award from Hon. Secretary of Ministry of Earth Science, Government of India

 our exhibition stall

                                                               our exhibition stall

                                                               our exhibition stall

Goodmorning Palk Bay

A fisherboat in morning on 9th Jan 2014. Northeast wind created spectacular foggy atmosphere. Northern Palk Bay is known for its high productivity of squids and cuttle fishes (கனவாய் மீன்கள்) which actually belongs to Phylum Mollusca.

Beautiful Palk Bay

When the wind direction changing from one direction to another direction, the surface water looks very calm like the above picture.  In tamil nadu, the thanjavur district fishers called it as "EERATTI"

                                                                Sunrise in Palk Bay

Mangroves Planted by us now becomes small mangrove thickets

Location : Keezhathoddam Village, Thanjavur District

Dotfly Campaign

Solo Beach Walk...

I thought to observe shoreline seagrasses in local beach.

It was pleasant weather, and I found very shallow seagrass beds of H. pinifolia.  The meadow is in stress with algae coverage.  Several shrimp farms located around are dumping their nutrient rich waste water that proliferates algal growth on natural seagrass beds.  This site is located very close to an outlet.

An underwater view showing how the seagrass beds is in stress by algae, which blocks sunlight making weaker, unhealthy meadows.  Such situations slowly replace seagrass into algal bed.

Seaward edge of the bed showing some healthy leaves

This sandy shoreline occur in between algal and seagrass meadows. Local fishers told that our coastal areas was covered by such sandy bottom few decades ago, where shoreline seagrass meadows were vast in size and healthy.  

After an hour, an unexpected clouds dimmed sunlinght.

Our coastal waters in Palk Bay is enriched by nutrients by the decomposed seagrasses

Back home, as nature decided enough today.