6.1 Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction Systems(COMAPS)


The Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction Systems (COMAPS) is a programme being carried by DOD with the objective of constantly assessing the health of our oceans on a long-term basis. The project was initiated during the year 1990-91. Investigations relating to assessment of pollution through collection of data on 25 pollution and related parameters at pre-determined locations along the coastline of India are being carried out by the following institutions in the areas specified against them: 


	DOD Centre/Unit                            Area of Monitoring   
	

	Central Salt & Marine Chemicals            Kandla to Dwarka
	Research Institute, Bhavnagar.

	Regional Centre, National Institute         Okha to Ratnagiri
	of Oceanography, Mumbai.

	National Institute of Oceanography,         Ratnagiri to New Mangalore &
	Goa.                                        Pesticide Residues W. Coast.

	Regional Centre, National Institute         New Mangalore to Kochi.
	of Oceanography, Kochi

	Centre for Earth Science                    Kochi to Cape Comorin.
	Studies (CESS), Thiruvananthapuram.

	Central Electrochemical                     Cape Comorin to Mandapam.
	Research Institute, Tuticorin.

	Central Electrochemical                     Mandapam to Krishnapatnam
	Research Institute, Chennai

	Regional Centre, National Institute         Krishnapatnam-Kalingapatnam
	of Oceanography, Visakhapatnam.

	Regional Research Laboratory,               Kalingapatnam to Digha.
	Bhubaneshwar.

	Zonal Office,                               Digha to Bangladesh Border
	Central Pollution Control Board, Calcutta
	

	Andaman & Nicobar Centre for                Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
	Ocean Development, Port Blair

	CESS unit, Kavaratti                        Lakshadweep Islands.

	Annamalai University                        Pesticide residues in E. Coast.

Besides these units, a Centre for Marine Analytical References and Standards to conduct inter- calibration exercises and to analyse the quality of data generated under the programme has been established at Regional Research Laboratory, Thiruvananthapuram.

PARAMETERS

A list of parameters on which data are being collected is presented below:

a) Water Quality

Temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, suspended solids, COD, BOD, inorganic phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, total phosphorous, total nitrogen, petroleum, hydrocarbons, pathogenic Vibrio, pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae (E. coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Proteus klebsiella, Vibrio cholera, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus faecalis).

b) Sediment quality

Texture, Total Organic carbon, pathogenic bacteria, cadmium, lead and mercury

c) Biological characteristics

Primary productivity, chlorophyll-a, phytoplankton cell count, total and major species and zooplankton standing crop. Experimental trawling for catch, total species and major species of fishes at selected locations. Heavy metals in clams/mussels.

The results obtained from this programme are being presented in the Annual Report since 1990- 91. The status of marine pollution in the coastal waters have been assessed and current level of pollution in the waters have also been determined.

During the year 1998-99, the programme was continued. The observations were reviewed by the Steering Committee under the chairmanship of Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and were made available to the State Pollution Control Boards for required action.

An exercise for generating the data quality through inter-calibration exercises was also conducted by the Regional Research Laboratory (Trivandrum). It was found that all the laboratories produced data of acceptable quality. The Department proposes to develop, jointly with CPCB, a coastal action plan for the control of coastal pollution from the land based activities.