Shielding from sunlight, shadowing coral reefs

The loyal tube of sunscreen becomes your life savior at the beach on days when the sun blazes against your skin. The lotion squirmed out of the tube is as essential to you sometimes as is water to fish. This lotion, however, is an (un)necessary evil. Its inconspicuous disadvantages make it a lethal threat to

The misery of seahorses

On a planet where humans kill millions of their own kind, Damocles’ sword always lies hanging over the heads of animals. That’s a given when animals face the deadliest threat everyday – us. Things sadly become worse for one of the most fascinating creatures on this planet – the seahorse. One instant it tries hard

Dwindling numbers of sharks a cause for concern

Sharks are one among the many apex predators of oceans. Yet, not even that fact can save them from the inevitable consequences of human actions. Since the 1970s, their numbers have dropped by over 70%, and this figure is bound to increase given the pace at which human advancement in the context of environmental disregard

Suffocating marine life to death

While terrestrial organisms like humans enjoy breathing 21% of oxygen present in the air, marine organisms have to depend on a mere 1% of oxygen concentration in water. However, the unquenchable avarice and ridiculous megalomania of humans has started depleting even this small quantity of oxygen.  With the thin line on which the marine world

Algae – sore reminders of how we pollute water bodies

The night of August 18, 2019 had residents of Chennai enthralled. A night stroll on the Elliot’s Beach turned out to be unforgettable as visitors saw a blue light glimmering the waves that crashed on the shore. It was later reported that the Noctiluca algae (commonly known as sea tinkle) were responsible for the magical

Human-produced underwater noise a cause for concern

Nobody likes noise – not us, not animals in forests and not fish in oceans. Loud and cacophonous noise displeases us, and, at times, even leads to dire health issues. But if that’s the case with us, do marine organisms feel the same way about noise? Does noise “displease” fish? Does it cause health issues

Foamy Coastline of Chennai

In the last months of 2019, Chennai’s iconic Marina Beach had become the centre of attention in the news. City-dwellers woke up to an unusual phenomenon on one fine November day. Nearly 1 kilometre of the world’s second longest beach’s shoreline was draped under a blanket of white frothy foam. This foam formation, as later

Jellyfish – Slimy Mirrors of the Future

An introduction on Jellyfish blooms Chennai’s coastal waters and harbor-waters have witnessed jellyfish blooms time and again. As early as in 2018, for instance, visitors gathered at the city’s port as a part of the Defence Exhibition were treated with an unexpected surprise – the sight of hundreds of orange blobs blanketing the ocean surface