A Case Study on Effects of Oil Spills and Tar-Ball Pollution on Beaches of Goa (India)

MPB-07125; No of Pages 4 Marine Pollution Bulletin xxx (2015) xxx–xxx

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Marine Pollution Bulletin

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Baseline A case study on effects of oil spills and tar-ball pollution on beaches of Goa (India)

Bhagwan N Rekadwad, Chandrahasya N Khobragade ⁎

School of Life Sciences, Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded 431606, India article info abstract

Article history: This paper reports the impact of oil spills and tar-ball pollution on the coastal ecosystem of Goa. The factors Received 22 April 2015 responsible for degrading the marine ecosystem of the Goan coastline are analyzed. Uncontrolled activities Received in revised form 16 June 2015 were found to degrade the marine and coastal biodiversity, in turn polluting all beaches. This had a direct impact Accepted 2 August 2015 on the Goan economy through a decline in tourism. The government must adopt the necessary control measures Available online xxxx to restore Goan beaches and the surrounding coastal areas.

The coastline of India spans approximately 8110 km. The states of context, as a part of a larger research project, the authors conducted a Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra baseline case study of Goan beaches. Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, and Tripura share the same coastline The objectives of the study are as follows: (Varkey, 1999; Sukhdhane et al., 2013). Goa is globally known to be a major tourist destination. Its main attractions include beaches with 1. To identify the sources of marine pollution an approximately 105-km-long coastline and popular recreational 2. To study the extent of marine pollution caused by oil spills and tar activities. The majority of the Goan economy is dependent upon tourism balls (e.g., Dhargalkar et al., 1977). Mani et al. (2012) reported that Goas vast 3. To estimate the impact of oil spills and tar-ball pollution on the Goan marine ecosystem is stressed by overfishing and destructive fishing economy practices, toxic pollutants, and climate change. Furthermore, oil spills 4. To study the effects of temperature on oil spills and tar balls on the and tar pollution add to these stresses. Presently, oil spills and tar-ball foreshore and backshore pollution have become a global issue, particularly in industrialized and 5. To suggest policy measures to control/avoid or to clear oil spills and developing countries such as India. Millions of liters of oil are discharged tar-ball pollution. into the ocean yearly from routine ship and car maintenance activities, offshore oil drilling operations, and ship spills. Serious oil spills and The state of Goa is located along the central west coast of India tar-ball deposition on the seashore from these activities accelerate the (latitudes 15° 48′ 00″ Nto14°53′ 54″ N and longitudes 74° 20′ 13″ Eto degradation of marine ecosystems. 73° 40′ 33″ E). Goa has a coastline of approximately 105 km, running par- In the early 1970s, oil spills and tar pollution were reported in many allel to the Western Ghats up to South Goa. The seasonal temperature ecologically sensitive and important regions of Goan beaches. These varies from 20 to 37 °C from June to October (Wilson et al., 2014). In beaches were seriously affected as the pollutants were washed ashore the present baseline paper, Goan beaches such as Arambol, Candolim, by the water current. These oil spills attracted wide public attention as Chalanguate, Colva, Dona Paula, Miramar, and Singuerim were selected the tourism industry and the ongoing public recreational activities on for investigating the impact of oil spills and tar-ball pollution on their Goan beaches, were hit. The Goa State Pollution Control Board (Goa) respective marine ecosystems. and the Government of India considered this an alarming environmen- A field survey was implemented in the selected beaches (such as tal issue. Moreover, the marine ecosystem was systematically affected Arambol, Candolim, Chalanguate, Colva, Dona Paula, Miramar, and by oil spills and tar balls, as they are toxic and carcinogenic, leading to Singuerim). The observations obtained from the in-depth investigation a decline in the coastal water quality and biodiversity health. In this of the study areas were cross-checked with the available published data (Fig. 1). The negative impact of oil spills and tar-ball pollution was first ⁎ Corresponding author. reported in the 1970s by the director of the National Institute of E-mail address: [email protected] (C.N. Khobragade). Oceanography (NIO), Goa (India). On 2 July 1994, NIO reported an oil

Please cite this article as: Rekadwad, B.N., Khobragade, C.N., A case study on effects of oil spills and tar-ball pollution on beaches of Goa (India), Marine Pollution Bulletin (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.08.019 2 B.N. Rekadwad, C.N. Khobragade / Marine Pollution Bulletin xxx (2015) xxx–xxx

Fig. 1. Location of Goa and sampling locations at the Goan beaches. Modiﬁed from Vethamony et al., 2007.

spill of approximately 2 tons from cracks on the starboard side of oil density of dominant nematodes and harpacticoid copepods significantly ships. The NIO also found oil slicks, partially degraded petroleum decreased. The major taxa were not adversely affected by the oil spill. hydrocarbons, and residual tar in seawater and on beach sand (Fig. 2). An increase in population density was observed with the end of the The effects of all listed pollutants on marine algae, salt-tolerant bacteria, monsoon and gradual degradation of the oil spill. Hence, oil spills and benthic meiofauna, phytoplanktons, and zooplanktons were observed tar pollution were caused solely by oil leakage from ships and oil (Desa et al., 1994). Although the impact of the oil spill reduced over tankers, tanker washes, cracks on the starboard side, ship accidents, time, several oil patches remained partially degraded and untreated. and benthic-zone oil spills. Ansari and Ingole (2002) stated that oil Oil spills and tar-ball deposits in seawater and on the sand were slowly slicks and tar-ball deposition have been regularly observed for the degraded by resistant chemoheterotrophic microorganisms. However, past several years. Tar balls are generally deposited on the Goan coast several sensitive aquatic organisms, terrestrial flora and fauna, amphib- during the pre-monsoon and southwest monsoon seasons. Oil deposi- ians, and meiofauna were adversely affected. Simultaneously, the tion was reported along the Goan coastline during August 2010, April 2011, and May 2011. This was not caused by oil spill accidents in the Arabian Sea; instead, the main causes were oil leakage from cracks on the starboard side of ships, tanker washes, and the deposition of residual oil balls on the shore by cold seawater. To date, tar-ball deposition on the seashore is still observed. Goan beaches from Colva (Margao) to Arambol were extensively surveyed to investigate the oil spills and tar pollution prevalent in the area. The flight distance (air distance) from the Colva beach (Margao) to the Arambol beach is approximately 52 km (Fig. 3). Large amounts of tar are deposited on the seashore every month by the year-round high tide and from June to October during the monsoon. The deposition of fresh and residual tar balls severely damages marine biodiversity, especially the lower taxa. Areas most hit by tar-ball deposition include an approximately 15-km-long stretch along the Salcete coast from Benaulim to Velsao, a 6-km stretch from Singuerim to Baga in Bardez, and important places of the Pernum coastline, especially in Arambol. The scenic beauty of other beaches such as Vegator and Miramar in North Goa and Khariwada and Cavelossim in South Goa was ruined by patches of weathered, particularly partially degraded petroleum hydro- carbon, arising from ship activities in harbors and ports. Tar balls of – Fig. 2. Dark streaks caused by tar balls lying on a South Goa beach during the last week of 100 300-mm size were observed. The width of the shoreline plays a July 2005 (NIO, Goa). significant role in tar-ball deposition on the seashore. Beaches such as

Please cite this article as: Rekadwad, B.N., Khobragade, C.N., A case study on effects of oil spills and tar-ball pollution on beaches of Goa (India), Marine Pollution Bulletin (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.08.019 B.N. Rekadwad, C.N. Khobragade / Marine Pollution Bulletin xxx (2015) xxx–xxx 3

Fig. 3. Air distance from Colva beach (Margao) to Arambol beach (about 52 km).

Dona Paula, Miramar, Singuerim, Candolim, and Chalanguate have Miramar, Dona Paula, and Colva beaches (South Goa). The following reduced foreshore and backshore width, compared with the Arambol policy measures and management methods are required to restore beach (Figs. 4 and 5). By contrast, the latter beach has a less inclined and protect the marine ecosystem and the beaches: slope and considerably wider foreshore and backshore. Because both sides of the seashore are wider, the monthly high tide covers a 1. Tar balls of 30-cm diameter or more washed and spread ashore by noticeably longer distance than at other beaches. Each wave of seawater the water, wind, or air currents from June to October should be deposits more tar balls on the seashore. Volatile and low-density manually removed. hydrocarbons are readily evaporated at increased environmental 2. Tar balls and other hydrocarbons should be removed using modern temperatures, but heavy and long-chain hydrocarbons evaporate biological techniques. For instance, microorganisms (Micrococcus, slowly. The tar balls are dispersed at increasing temperatures and in Rhodococcus,andPseudomonas-like species) capable of degrading turn percolate deeply in the sand (Figs. 6–8). The back-and-forth hydrocarbons can be used to treat these areas. movement of sea waves stains the sand, thereby changing the natural 3. The existing government regulations and licensing as well as good color of the sand to blackish oil-slicked sand. practices in coastal management must be strictly followed. For exam- These phenomena adversely affect the biodiversity of the Arambol ple, strict regulations must be enforced for oil ﬁlling and washing beach (North Goa), as well as the Chalanguate, Candolim, Singuerim, procedures at the designated port and harbor.

Fig. 4. Arambol beach (North Goa). Fig. 5. Chalanguate beach (North Goa).

Please cite this article as: Rekadwad, B.N., Khobragade, C.N., A case study on effects of oil spills and tar-ball pollution on beaches of Goa (India), Marine Pollution Bulletin (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.08.019 4 B.N. Rekadwad, C.N. Khobragade / Marine Pollution Bulletin xxx (2015) xxx–xxx

Fig. 6. Dark streaks of dispersed tar balls lying on Arambol beach (North Goa).

Fig. 7. (a & b) Higher taxa growing on the dark streaks of dispersed tar balls lying on Arambol beach (North Goa), (c) darkened oil-slicked sand collected from Arambol beach (North Goa).

4. Public awareness and education can be increased with the help of Acknowledgment communication media (TV, press, advertisements, etc.). Thus, the public will be able to benefit from resources such as fishing and The authors thank several local Goan participants, especially the tourism knowledgeably. coastguards and fishermen, for their assistance and information shared in this case study. The authors also thank Dr. Baban Ingole, chief scientist The present baseline paper investigates the causes of oil spills and at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa (India), for his tar pollution on Goan beaches. It also highlights the adverse effects of valuable suggestions. BNR is grateful to the University Grants Commis- oil spills and tar pollution not only on the marine ecosystem but also sion, New Delhi (India) for the financial support in the form of the post- on the Goan economy, its ports and harbors, and the livelihood of its lo- doctoral fellowship to conduct this research (No. F./PDFSS-2013-14-ST- cals. Effective policies on managing oil spills are warranted to restore MAH-4350). beaches damaged by oil spills and tar-ball deposition. This study suggests curbing excessive and hazardous activities at ports and harbors, Appendix A. Supplementary data as well as effectively planning the restoration of Goan beaches at the government level. This study also suggests increasing public awareness Supplementary data to this article can be found online at http://dx. and encouraging public and private participation to protect, save, and doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.08.019. preserve the precious biodiversity of the coastal region of Goa. References

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Fig. 8. Dark streaks of dispersed tar balls: Chalanguate beach (North Goa).