National Conference on
Marine Pollution & Ecotoxicology
25 - 27 SEPTEMBER 2024
Kochi, Kerala
ABOUT NCMPE 2024
Marine ecosystem encompassing over 70 % of the earth’s area, provides vital supplies of food, and biodiversity; maintaining the trophic structure and ecosystem services. Unfortunately, these vital ecosystems face an escalating threat – marine pollution. Marine pollution encompasses various harmful substances introduced into the marine environment, resulting in detrimental effects on both marine life and human health. It manifests in numerous forms, including chemical pollution from industrial runoff, the insidious spread of non-biodegradable plastic waste, catastrophic oil spills from maritime activities, excessive nutrient runoff leading to harmful algal blooms, and sediment pollution through erosion.
The repercussions of marine pollution are profound and wide-reaching. Ecosystems such as coral reefs and kelp forests suffer extensive damage, marine species face endangerment through habitat degradation and ingestion of pollutants, and humans risk health issues through the consumption of contaminated seafood and exposure to polluted beach water. Moreover, the economic consequences are significant, with losses impacting fisheries, tourism, and coastal communities. Understanding and addressing these issues is where ecotoxicology plays a pivotal role. Ecotoxicology is the study of how pollutants affect living organisms and ecosystems. It helps us comprehend processes like bioaccumulation and biomagnification, toxicity testing, and environmental risk assessment. Recent advances in ecotoxicological research, including the use of molecular tools and modeling techniques, offer hope for better strategies to mitigate and prevent marine pollution. To protect our oceans, we must combine knowledge, conservation efforts, and individual actions, ensuring a healthier future for our planet and generations to come.
In light of these conditions, the "National Conference on Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology – NCMPE-24" emerges as an excellent forum for addressing marine pollution issues at local, regional, and global scales. The conference holds the promise of fostering more effective resolutions to these pressing problems, with the aim of securing a better future for our marine environments.
CONFERENCE INSIGHTS: Major Topics and Key Areas
Legacy Pollution Issues. Organic pollution, Metal pollution, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Biocides pollution, oil spills, Chlorinated Hydrocarbons etc.
Ocean Plastic Issues, Marine litter, microplastics, nano plastics, Environmental fate of plastics, Ecotoxicity and ecological risk of macro-, micro-, and nano plastics.
Emerging contaminants, Perfluorinated compounds, Endocrine disrupting chemicals, Pharmaceuticals and personal care products, Engineered nanomaterials.
Basic research on the impacts of toxic chemicals on populations, communities, and ecosystems in aquatic environments, Molecular toxicology, Omics technologies, Adverse outcome pathways (AOPs), Mechanism of toxicity of environmental pollutants.
Marine Ecosystem Responses to Climate and Environmental Changes, Thermal stress, global warming, Sealevel rise, Salinity stress, Ocean acidification, biological invasion and biological pollution, Coastal Eutrophication and Related Issues, Hypoxia, Harmful algae blooms, Algal toxins.
Antibiotic pollution and Antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Pollution from aquaculture and mariculture activities, Microbial Contaminants in Seafood, Marine Biotoxins on Seafood Safety, Risk Assessment of Chemical Contaminants in Seafood, Public Health Implications of contaminated Seafood Consumption.
Management and valorisation of waste, Remediation of hazardous and persistent chemical substances from water and industrial wastes, Development of methods for environmental quality management (new procedures, characterization techniques, monitoring methods, governing standards, etc.), Biochar, Development of newer analytical methods for characterization and quantification of chemicals.
Innovative Marine Pollution Monitoring and Control Technology, Artificial Intelligence in Forecasting Marine Debris and Plastic Pollution, AI-Driven Monitoring of Marine Pollution and Water Quality, Machine Learning for Predictive Analysis of Marine Ecosystem Health, Water and sediment quality criteria, Environmental Education and Citizen Science for Marine Protection.
