PAK-EPA MARINE WATER POLLUTION MONITORING CENTER AT NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OCEANOGRAPHY

A monitoring facility exclusively devoted for the monitoring of pollution levels in seawater, sediment and marine biota along the coast of Pakistan was established at NIO. The study includes aspects of bio-accumulation and toxicities. The project is jointly sponsored by the ministries of Environment and Science and Technology. State-of-the-art analytical equipment, such as the Atomic Adsorption, GC-MS, HPLC, Microwave Digestion equipment, Fluorescence Spectrometer, Field flouro-meter etc. are some of the used to focus on studying three major aspects of marine pollution: 1) the speciation, spatial and temporal distribution of organic and inorganic pollutants and bio-degradation; 2) Bio-monitoring and ecological surveys of pollution hotspots along coastal waters for detection of pollution impacts and 3) Bio-chemical response of selected marine organisms to pollutants. The information generated would assist the management and regulatory authorities for formulating safety regulations, disposal guidelines and permissible limits for hazardous material into the coastal waters. And as a consequence serve as conservation and preservation measures for marine resources (fish , shellfish etc.) and biodiversity

Establishment Of Multipurpose Crustacean Hatchery And Jumbo Shrimp Farming

A monitoring facility exclusively devoted for the monitoring of pollution levels in seawater, sediment and marine biota along the coast of Pakistan was established at NIO. The study includes aspects of bio-accumulation and toxicities. The project is jointly sponsored by the ministries of Environment and Science and Technology. State-of-the-art analytical equipment, such as the Atomic Adsorption, GC-MS, HPLC, Microwave Digestion equipment, Fluorescence Spectrometer, Field flouro-meter etc. are some of the used to focus on studying three major aspects of marine pollution: 1) the speciation, spatial and temporal distribution of organic and inorganic pollutants and bio-degradation; 2) Bio-monitoring and ecological surveys of pollution hotspots along coastal waters for detection of pollution impacts and 3) Bio-chemical response of selected marine organisms to pollutants. The information generated would assist the management and regulatory authorities for formulating safety regulations, disposal guidelines and permissible limits for hazardous material into the coastal waters. And as a consequence serve as conservation and preservation measures for marine resources (fish , shellfish etc.) and biodiversity

Impact of Oil Spill and Bio-remedial Measures

“Impact of oil spill and bio-remedial measures to mitigate the effects on marine environment along the Clifton beach and surrounding areas of Karachi”
The oil tanker Tasman Sprit grounded in the channel of Karachi Harbour at about 1.5 nm from the sea shore on 27th July, 2003 while cruising in the curved entry of channel. The vessel was loaded with 67535 tonnes of Iranian light crude oil for Pakistan Refinery Limited in Karachi. Significant oil was spilled when the Tasman Sprit broke on 13th August 2003. As the oil spilled, due to rough sea conditions and high wind speed, it spread promptly. It mostly spread towards eastern side and due to the proximity of oil source from the grounded tanker to the coast, the spilled oil hit Karachi coastline.
With the passage of time the spilled oil has been undergoing through various stages like evaporation, stranding, emulsification, oxidation, spreading, sedimentation, dispersion, dissolution and bio-degradation. During these long processes, it may cause an adverse impact on the marine eco-system. The spilled oil disappeared from sea surface after spray of dispersants and settled down in the bottom, which in turn can also damage the benthic fauna and flora. It was decided to study the environmental degradation in terms of air, water and beach, which will have short and long-term effect on the marine ecosystem. The present study deals with the assessment of long term impact of the spilled oil and bio-remedial measures.

The following is the main scope of the present study;
• Study the impact of oil spill on marine environment after more than one year.
• Comparisons of results with the previous study findings.
• Bio-remedial measures to mitigate the effects on marine environment.
This project is a joint venture of NIO, PCSIR and CMG, University of Karachi.


Area Map

Scientist preparing Current meter for deployment.

Current meter being retrived after 25 hours mooring.