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In the present study, the whole seaweed from Kappaphycus alvarezii (containing carrageenan) was used for preparation of bio-nanocomposite films by blending with metal oxide nanoparticles such as zinc oxide (ZnONPs), cupric oxide (CuONPs) and silicon dioxide (SiO

A rapid survey was carried out to evaluate the status of a diverging bryozoan Amathia verticillata (delle Chiaje 1822) around the natural milieu after their successions on artificial coastal defense structures Tamil Nadu coast. This research communicates its incidence with sea fan Subergorgia suberosa and seagrass Cymodocea serrulate, Halophila ovalis in the nearshore reef environment of Tuticorin coast, Tamil Nadu, India. Thus, the rare Colonization of bryozoan on the sea fan was unique and reported for the first time in India.

Marine biogrowth infestation of a seawater intake system was investigated. A digital camera fixed onto a skid was used to record the biogrowth at intervals of 5 m up to a depth of 55 m. Divers inspected the intake shaft and collected the biogrowth samples for biomass estimation. A biomass density of 7.5 kg m-2 and 28.2 kg m-2 was recorded at 5 and 30 m depths respectively. Inspection by the divers revealed that hard-shelled organisms such as oysters and brown and green mussels were observed in plenty up to a thickness of 15 cm and bryozoans grew as epibionts. At lower depths (

Objectives: The main objective of the study was to collect and rear the unmarketable, small sized S.javus which is mostly rejected by the traditional fisherman. During fishing activities, under sized S.javus ranging in sizes from 25 to 40 kg (< 30-40 % of total catch/day) is being captured. Due to very low marketable value these small fishes (

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in the marine environment, yet information regarding their occurrence in the food web is limited. We investigated the concentration and composition of MPs in water and diverse zooplankton groups from the Arabian Sea basin. Forty-one zooplankton tows were collected with a bongo net (330 μm mesh) from the Arabian Sea in January 2019. MPs in the surface water varied between 0 and 0.055 particles/m

Seaweeds rich in polysaccharides are considered commercially important because of their wide range of industrial applications. In this study, the red seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii was used for bioplastic film production. Plasticizer polyethylene glycol (PEG) to seaweed biomass ratio was optimized and a thin bioplastic film with higher tensile strength was produced. The films obtained were characterized by its thickness, tensile strength, colour (L, a, b), elongation at break (EAB), water vapour transmission rate (WVTR) and oxygen transmission rate (OTR). TG-DSC, AFM, SEM and FTIR spectroscopy analysis were performed to assess the composition, phase transitions and chemical reaction capabilities of the film. The bioplastic film obtained from 4% K. alvarezii (whole seaweed) showed better physical and mechanical properties, whereas TG-DSC, FTIR and AFM showed similar kind of bioplastic properties in all the concentrations. Decrease in OTR was observed against decreasing wall thickness of the film. The present study suggests that the seaweed would be a potential alternate source for bioplastic production which may reduce the usage of non-degradable plastics.

Thraustochytrids are the most promising microbial source for the commercial production of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for its application in the human health, aquaculture, and nutraceutical sectors. The present study isolated 127 thraustochytrid strains from mangrove habitats of the south Andaman Islands, India to study their diversity, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and biotechnological potential. The predominant strains were identified as belonging to two major genera (Thraustochytrium, Aurantiochytrium) based on morphological and molecular characteristics. The strain ANVKK-06 produced the maximum biomass of 5.42 g·L−1, while ANVKK-03 exhibited the maximum total lipid (71.03%). Omega-3 PUFAs such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) accumulated up to 11.03% in ANVKK-04, docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) up to 8.65% in ANVKK-07, and DHA up to 47.19% in ANVKK-06. ANVKK-06 showed the maximum scavenging activity (84.79 ± 2.30%) while ANVKK-03 and ANVKK-10 displayed the highest antibacterial activity against human and fish pathogens, S. aureus (18.69 ± 1.2 mm) and V. parahaemolyticus (18.31 ± 1.0 mm), respectively. All strains were non-toxic as evident by negative blood agar hemolysis, thus, the thraustochytrids are suggested to be a potential source of DHA for application in the health care of human and fish.

Fish oils are well-known sources of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), widely used in the food industry as nutritional supplements, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry. In this present study, ray fish Himantura marginata (Blackedge whipray) were collected from Nagapattinam fishing harbour, and oil from the livers was extracted by the BUME method. The percentage of oil yield was recorded as 83 ± 2.8 from the above method. The proximate composition such as total protein (26.51 ± 0.34%), crude fat (7.58 ± 0.16%), moisture (7.08 ± 0.13%) and ash content (8.63 ± 0.45%) was calculated by standard AOAC method. The physical properties were recorded as follows: specific gravity at 28 ℃, 1.03 ± 0.02 g cm−3; refractive index, 1.430; saponification value, 176.90 ± 1.24 mg KOH/g oil; iodine value, 148.79 ± 2.07 mg I2/100 g; density, 0.927 ± 0.06 g/mL; carotenes, 3.68 mg/100 g oil; α-tocopherol 9.34 mg/100 g oil; and colour, yellowish. Fatty acid profiling of the liver oil was performed by using gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID); it exhibited 22 different types of fatty acids including saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The elemental analysis of liver oil was performed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and the values are analysed in triplicate.

Sea farm cages attract a range of wild fish species by providing shelter and food. The fish aggregation study was carried out around the open sea cages deployed at (9°20′03.95″N; 79°19′53.05″E) Olaikuda, Rameshwaram. A total of 2515 fish representing 51 species from 26 families and 9 orders were recorded by Underwater Visual Census (UVC) method from both sea-cage farm and control site. The genus Siganus was very common in both the cage and the control site and recorded in each sampling. The fish abundance distribution depicted a similar pattern to that of the cluster analysis when subjected to 2D NMDS ordinations and showed a distinct cluster pattern for the cage site. The Shannon Wiener diversity indices illustrated high abundance (224) and richness (7.33) at the cage site compared to the control site (common fishing ground). There was a significant temporal variation (F = 8.9, p

Highlights • Seawater cultivation of marine microalgae for nutraceutical production is hampered by the presence of salt. • Dilute hydrochloric acid (0.5 %) pre-wash developed as effective salt removal approach to augment total carotenoid and lutein content (1.8 fold). • Salt removal treatments also impacted the fatty acid profile and degree of saturation. • Impact of salt removal treatment was visualized using SEM., The prime challenge in seawater culture of microalgae for high value biomolecules production is presence of salt. Hence, twelve different salt removal treatments were evaluated for their impact on the lutein, total carotenoid, chlorophyll yields and fatty acid profile of marine microalgae Chlorella vulgaris (NIOT-74). The effectiveness of different treatments on salt removal was also visualized with the aid of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Among the tested treatments, washing the algal biomass with 0.5 % HCl augmented the lutein (11.56 mg/g) and total carotenoid yield (60.88 mg/g) 1.82 and 1.86 fold respectively, in comparison to untreated control. Highest chlorophyll content (30.64 mg/g) was noticed in the distilled water wash treatment. Different salt removal treatments also impacted the fatty acid profile and degree of unsaturation of the fatty acids significantly. This study thus, signified the importance of salt removal treatments for the commercial production of biomolecules from marine microalgae cultured in natural seawater.