Shipwreck off the Kerala coast in May led to significant ecological disruption: report

The sinking of the ELSA 3 ship off the Kerala coast in May led to a significant ecological disruption in the south-eastern Arabian Sea, affecting water quality, plankton, fish eggs and larvae, and higher marine life, a new study has said.

In a statement, the Ministry of Earth Sciences said the persistence of oil even after several days, despite prevailing turbulence and current flows, highlights the risk of continued leakage.

The study, conducted by the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), underscores the urgent need for sealing of the wreck’s fuel compartments and long-term monitoring of the impacted region to safeguard marine ecosystems and fisheries resources.

MSC ELSA 3, carrying 640 containers including hazardous cargo, sank on May 25, roughly 38 nautical miles off the Kerala coast.

The vessel was loaded with an estimated 85 metric tonnes of diesel and 367 metric tonnes of furnace oil, in addition to at least 13 containers of dangerous substances such as calcium carbide.

Analysis of Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) fractions revealed the presence of compounds such as naphthalene, fluorene, anthracene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and pyrene, the study found.

“The elevated levels of naphthalene, which normally indicate human-induced contamination, strongly suggest leakage from the wreck’s fuel compartments. In addition, higher concentrations of trace metals commonly associated with petroleum, including nickel, lead, copper and vanadium, were detected in both water and sediments near the site,” the study said.

The report said its findings confirm that the wreck has become a local source of hydrocarbon and heavy-metal pollution.

The biological impacts of the spill were evident across multiple levels of the ecosystem, it said, adding that zooplankton, which forms the base of the marine food chain, was found to contain high levels of petroleum-derived pollutants.

“All major PAH fractions were detected in both surface and deeper samples, confirming bioaccumulation and raising concerns about the transfer of these pollutants through the food web to fish and ultimately to humans,” it said.

The report said the visible impacts extended to higher marine fauna as a Brown Noddy seabird was observed taking prolonged shelter on the wreck, repeatedly preening its feathers, a typical behavioural response to oil contamination of plumage.

Such incidents point towards the vulnerability of marine birds and higher organisms in the vicinity of the spill, the report said.