Automated ocean pollution tracking system - Fusion - WeRindia

While unsuitable for our human way of living, the world’s oceans host some of the most delicate and beautiful ecosystems on the planet.

The Indian ocean, named after India itself, has a particularly diverse and beautiful aquatic environment, due to its warm climate.

However, in recent times, inconsiderate of the ecosystem beneath the water’s surface, people have been polluting the oceans to the point where hundreds of trash items wash up upon many shores regularly.

The Indian Ocean faces some of the worst pollution in the world, especially in the waters surrounding Mumbai.

A study found about 69 items per square meter along four Mumbai beaches, and that doesn’t even account for the petroleum, oil, and chemicals absorbed by the water.

Luckily, the condition of the Indian Ocean is not as bad as it could be, since the semi-diurnal tides and the monsoons disperse the pollutants in the water.

However, the ocean’s conditions are still poor, since about 5 to 6 million tons of petroleum and oil have been spilled into it, which is 40% of all the petroleum spilled in all water bodies around the world.

80% of the pollution in the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean consists of plastic pollutants and other similar pollutants, which are deadly to marine wildlife.

In order to find out the real condition of India’s surrounding waters, the Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) is sending out automated moorings into the water to collect samples.

The automated moorings will consist of sensor-equipped buoys, which will be put in 6 coastal areas of the country.

The sensor will prevent the buoys from being washed away, and they will collect data from water samples in real time.

Authorities will be able to monitor their activity and analyze their data.

However, although these buoys will be able to provide very accurate information about the pollution in India’s surrounding waters, it is up to the people to actually solve the pollution problem.

Image Reference: Thebetterindia