Coastal People Research Articles

Growth rate and carrageenan yield of cultivated Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty in the coastal waters of Bay of Bengal at Chepala Timmapuram, Andhra Pradesh, east coast of India

Experimental field cultivation of Kappaphycus alvarezii was done successfully in the coastal waters of Bay of Bengal at Chepala Timmapuram, Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, east coast of India from March 2015 to December 2015 to evaluate its economic feasibility of cultivation. Two methods were adopted for cultivation viz., tubular method and netbag method. In both the methods, 20 lines of 60 m each were floated. Data on crop yield, daily growth rate, carrageenan yield, and its gel strength were collected after 45-day growth cycle. The mean crop yields of 270.20 ± 20.61 kg fresh weight (FW) per line and 301.15 ± 30.81 kg FW per line were obtained in tubular and netbag methods, respectively, with respective mean growth rates of 3.34 ± 0.17 and 3.57 ± 0.23%. The mean carrageenan (semi refined carrageenan) yields were found to be 33.33 ± 1.12 and 30.36 ± 1.00% in tubular and netbag methods, respectively, with respective mean gel strength of 404.09 ± 24.80 and 362.50 ± 26.43 g cm−2. The growth rates and the quantity and quality of carrageenan obtained in this study were comparable with the ones obtained elsewhere. The physical (temperature and salinity) and chemical (nitrate and phosphate) parameters of the seawater were found to be very conducive for the growth of this seaweed. Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) at 0.05 level showed a significant positive correlation between DGR and seawater temperature (r = 0.557) and DGR and salinity (r = 0.541) in tubular method only. Further, a significant positive correlation was seen between carrageenan and temperature (r = 0.636), carrageenan and salinity (r = 0.882), and carrageenan and phosphate (r = 0.538) in tubular method, whereas a significant negative correlation was seen between carrageenan and salinity (r = −0.514) in netbag method. However, seawater temperature showed significant positive correlation with salinity (r = 0.731) and also with nitrate (r = 0.646). Salinity showed significant positive correlation with phosphate (r = 0.609). This study would encourage commercial field cultivation to be carried out by the coastal people in Andhra Pradesh. Each farmer could earn an average monthly income of Rs 19,128 (US$290) to 21,945 (US$333) by adopting Kappaphycus cultivation.

Masculinity and the culture of rising sea-levels in a mangrove lagoon in Papua New Guinea

In the wake of rising sea-levels, dialogue about climate change and resettlement took on new urgency among the Murik, a lagoon-dwelling, coastal people in Papua New Guinea. A theoretical question is raised by their discourse: how to conceptualize the relationship among multiple perspectives of climate change that does not pre-empt local voices? Bakhtin’s concept of the chronotope and Lacan’s notion of the symbolic phallus in the time and space of the other are utilized in this analysis. In particular, chronotopes of modernity and global risk contest a chronotope of local masculinity. These concepts, in turn, are challenged by a chronotope of doubt, and the latter seems to be winning the argument, as it were. The four chronotopes, I argue, combine in dialogue to constitute an otherwise ignored view of rising sea-levels, not only in Papua New Guinea but in climate-change discourse, more broadly. Multi-sited ethnography is analyzed in support of this argument.

Diabetic retinopathy and visual impairment in disaster prone coastal population of Bangladesh

Background and objective – Disaster prone coastal population has least accessibility to health care and very little is known about the prevalence of diabetes, diabetic retinopathy (DR) and visual impairment. This study addressed the prevalence of visual impairment and DR and risk factors related to DR among population residing in disaster prone areas of Bangladesh.Methods: Thirty-two coastal communities in six coastal districts were purposively selected. All coastal people of age 18 years or more were considered eligible. Investigations included clinical history, anthropometry (height, weight, waist- and hip-girth), blood pressure and fasting blood glucose (FBG). The participants with hyperglycemia (FBG ?5.6mmol/l) were undertaken for eye examination. Visual acuity was measured bilaterally using the Snellen chart. An Early treatment diabetic retinopathy study (ETDRS) cut out chart with E Optotypes was used.Results: A total of 7567 participants volunteered and 1540 had hyperglycemia (FBG ?5.6mmol/l). Of the hyperglycemic participants, 1214 (91.7%) participated for complete eye examination. Visual impairment of any type was found in 14.1%, any type cataract in 27.8% and any type DR in 18%. The participants of advancing age of higher social class and higher central obesity had excess risk for developing DR. The participants with known family history of diabetes also had greater risk. Compared with the group having FBG 5.6 – 6.9mmol/l those having FBG >6.9mmol/l had significant risk for DR (OR 3.11, 95%CI 2.04 – 4.76).Conclusion: The study concludes that visual impairment and cataract of any type is almost comparable with other coastal populations. The coastal people had higher prevalence of DR compared to rural population from other areas of Bangladesh and it was also higher than global estimate. The persons with higher age from higher social class with higher central obesity had excess risk for DR. The risk of DR increased with increasing hyperglycemia. Further study may be undertaken to confirm these findings.IMC J Med Sci 2016; 10(1): 10-17

Promotional mix strategy in banks for bancassurance products

Banc assurance is the sale of insurance products through a Bank. Marketing is a process through which a business enterprise, institution or organization interacts with the customers and stakeholders with the objective to earn profit. Bank Marketing is viewed as a tool in achieving the organizational objectives of a bank. With this background, this paper intends to probe into Promotional Mix Strategies practiced by the banks based on the perceptions of bank customers. Marketing, as a philosophy, is expected to guide the people, functions and all departments of a bank. Now-a-days marketing philosophy is very essential to banks. To overcome various types of risks, both manmade and natural, banc assurance is a panacea and one-stop-shop for Coastal Karnataka people. The banc assurance model was not well-positioned in banks of this region and the people were not aware of the opportunities of banc assurance products and its nature. Many banks are unable to tap the demand of banc assurance because of their failure to understand the demographic profile, products, economic situation and marketing strategies to increase the sales of banc assurance products to enhance their profit and retain their customers. These are Canara Bank and Corporation Bank which are leading in Coastal Karnataka as far as banc assurance is concerned. Research conclusions and inferences drawn were based on the findings of this intensive study. Other banks were kept outside the purview of this study.

Coastal Livelihood Vulnerability to Climate Change: A Case Study of Char Montaz in Patuakhali District of Bangladesh

This study was conducted at coastal Char Montaz in Rangabali Upazila at Patuakhali district of Bangladesh. Char Montaz is vulnerable to different types of destructive disasters due to its geographic location. Disasters such as floods, river bank erosion, cyclone, tornado, hail storm, water logging, salinity intrusion etc. are gradually intensifying by climate change and composing risks for the coastal people in Char Montaz. The study is concerned with climate change related risks and hazards that affects the inhabitant’s livelihood of the study area. The study findings demonstrated that the climate change has affected the 70% people’s agricultural livelihood in many ways. It has also created a state of unemployment among the people of coastal communities. As a result, the affected people are losing their means of livelihoods and forced to take several alternative means of livelihoods to cope with the adverse impact of climate change related disasters. The study identifies the livelihood adaptation strategies adapted by the affected communities in Char Montaz area. The present paper exhibits that the coastal community people try to solve their problems through adopting and exploring alternative employments.

The Archaeology and Ethnohistory of Walrus Ritual around Bering Strait

Nineteenth-century ethnohistoric sources describe rituals and beliefs related to the exploitation of walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) on the islands of the Bering Sea and the coast of Chukotka. These small-scale rites practiced by St. Lawrence Islanders, Siberian Yupiget, and Chukchi were intended to thank walrus and ensure future hunting success. Rituals conducted by walrus boat captains also facilitated integration of walrus hunting crews and their families. Archaeological evidence for the antiquity of walrus-related ritual is provided by concentrations of walrus skulls in structures and deposition of walrus bones in cemeteries. The centrality of walrus to subsistence, material culture, and ritual life of coastal peoples deserves more scholarly attention in both archaeological and historical reconstructions of Yupik and Chukchi multispecies pasts.

EVIDENCE FOR SIGNIFICANT SUBTERRANEAN STORAGE AT TWO HUNTER-GATHERER SITES: THE PRESENCE OF A MAST-BASED ECONOMY IN THE LATE ARCHAIC COASTAL AMERICAN SOUTHEAST

Excavations at two Late Archaic shell rings on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, revealed evidence of significant amounts of subterranean storage. Based on botanical evidence, ethonographic analogies, and interpretations of other Late Archaic sites, hickory nuts and acorns are the most likely resource being stored, and quantifying the capacity found at each ring highlights the prevalence and importance of mast storage. These findings are important because large-scale storage has rarely been proposed for Late Archaic coastal peoples and, therefore, its impact as a potential factor for social changes enacted during this time period, including increasing sedentism, formalization of intragroup relations, and regionalization of cultural identities, has yet to be explored.

THE SOUTH CHINA SEA: AN IMPACT TO INDONESIA MANGROVE AT THE HUMAN PERSPECTIVE ON ECOSYSTEM, FUNCTION, SERVICES AND BENEFIT

With respect to the sustainability, utilization, conservation and protection, the mangrove ecology in Indonesia are described briefly along with their roles and function for the human being. Apart from their ecological value, the mangrove forests provide numerous commercial products, generating much needed economic opportunities in most of the islands in the country. These products represent a primary resource for coastal people and they have a direct impact on the forest ecology. Aspects of utilization both by traditional and modern methods presented as a consequent of human civilization.Keywords: Indonesia, Ecology, Mangroves, Function, Biodiversity, Utilization

Putting Lifeworlds at Sea: Studying Meaning-Making in Marine Research

An individual’s ‘lifeworld’ guides perceptions, the attachment of meaning and in sum, the interpretation of reality in everyday life. Yet the lifeworld (Ger. Lebenswelt) has been an undertheorized concept within interdisciplinary marine research. Through a two-stage analysis, we critically engage with the philosophical foundations, heuristic value and the methodological versatility that the interpretivist concept of the lifeworld stands to offer, drawing from contemporary marine research. With two illustrative case studies exploring the lived realities of vastly different waterworlds in rural Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka, we further engage with the strengths and limitations of integrating a lifeworlds analysis into interdisciplinary work on localized perceptions. As a second step, we analyze the efficacy of adopting a phenomenological-lifeworlds approach in order to inductively explore diverse realities of coastal and sea-based peoples, while acknowledging the terrestrially-bound and anthropocentric genesis of the lifeworld as a concept. Therefore, in order to enliven hybrid thematic currents, conceptual debates and methodologies on ‘marine lifeworlds’ on its own terms, we propose two thematic vantage points for interdisciplinary intervention by: a) critically engaging with cognitive-material meanings and lived interpretations of 'saltwater' realities; b) tracing multiple modes of sociality and being with/in-the-world that go beyond human entanglements. In sum, we argue that while the lifeworlds concept affords spaces through which to study the complexities and ambivalences rife in surface-level perceptions, it promises the means with which to sidestep over-simplistic inferences to the vague and embattled notion of ‘culture’, while widening horizons for reflective and experimental-experiential lines of inquiry.

Yom Kippur’s Call for Environmental Repentance

Yom Kippur’s Call for Environmental Repentance

The interrelationship between travel behavior and life choices in adapting to flood disasters

Disasters resulting from climate change are shown to be important determinants of people’s life choice decisions. In the literature, travel behavior choice and life choices are usually addressed separately under disasters such as flood and cyclone. However, travel behavior may be interdependent with other life choices, jointly shaping people’s adaptation decisions. To this end, the paper advances the literature by exploring the interrelationship between changes in travel behavior and job and residential location under flood disasters, while separating coastal and inland observations. For this purpose, a stated preference survey was conducted in 14 cities of Bangladesh in early 2013. An analysis approach based on structural equation modeling was developed to investigate the correlations between travel behavior change and job and residential location changes. Model estimation results suggest that flood impacts have significant influences on inland people’s life choices, while coastal people’s life choices are mainly affected by flood adaptation responses and attitudes. Significant correlations between travel behavior change and job and residential location changes are found for both observations. Moreover, both coastal and inland people tend not to change residential locations if changes in job location and travel behavior are made. Inland people may not change travel behavior if their job and/or residential locations are changed, but coastal people’s job and residential location changes are associated with changes in travel behavior. Travel behavior change is found to have more of an effect on residential location change than job location change in both regions. These findings conclude that the two-way relationship between travel behavior and life choices should be taken into account in future analyses, and thus adaptation policies to climate change disasters could be better linked with people’s behavioral responses.

Tropical ancient DNA from bulk archaeological fish bone reveals the subsistence practices of a historic coastal community in southwest Madagascar

Taxonomic identification of archaeological fish bones provides important insights into the subsistence practices of ancient coastal peoples. However, it can be difficult to execute robust morphological identification of fish bones from species-rich fossil assemblages, especially from post-cranial material with few distinguishing features. Fragmentation, weathering and burning further impede taxonomic identification, resulting in large numbers of unidentifiable bones from archaeological sites. This limitation can be somewhat mitigated by taking an ancient DNA (aDNA) bulk-bone metabarcoding (BBM) approach to faunal identification, where DNA from non-diagnostic bone fragments is extracted and sequenced in parallel. However, a large proportion of fishing communities (both past and present) live in tropical regions that have sub-optimal conditions for long-term aDNA preservation. To date, the BBM method has never been applied to fish bones before, or to fossils excavated from an exposed context within a tropical climate. Here, we demonstrate that morphologically indistinct bulk fish bone from the tropics can be identified by sequencing aDNA extracted from 100 to 300 ya archaeological midden material in southwest Madagascar. Despite the biases of the approach, we rapidly obtained family, genus, and species-level assemblage information, and used this to describe a subset of the ichthyofauna exploited by an 18th century fishing community. We identified 23 families of fish, including benthic, pelagic, and coral-dwelling fishes, suggesting a reliance on a variety of marine and brackish habitats. When possible, BBM should be used alongside osteological approaches to address the limitations of both; however, this study highlights how genetic methods can nevertheless be a valuable tool for helping resolve faunal assemblages when morphological identification is hindered by taphonomic processes, lack of adequate comparative collections, and time constraints, and can provide a temporal perspective on fish biodiversity in the context of accelerated exploitation of the marine environment.

Coastal people and mangroves ecosystem resources vis-à-vis management strategies in Indian Sundarban

This study assessed the status of coastal communities living in a fringe of mangroves forest, Samshernagar in the Indian Sundarban. Demographics of the area were surveyed with questionnaires which also collated their pattern of livelihood related to coastal resources. A total number of respondents were 1404 out of 1560 households. The study identified 14 primary occupations (A) with consideration of both earning and time engagement, along with other two occupations as Secondary (B) and Tertiary (C). Different occupants were made into four broad groups viz., (i) Resource dependent (RD), (ii) Wage earner (WE), (iii) Self resilient (SR) and (iv) Government servant (GS). Resource dependent shared 63.9% among others. A Relative Occupational Priority Index (ROPI) was developed, assessing the degree of strength among primary occupations. Fin fish, shell fish and crab (Af) scored 60.97 numbers, followed by agricultural activities (Aal) with 21.38 numbers. The venture of coastal people for resources collection into forest ecosystem as part of livelihood encountered very often wildlife conflict, including both tiger and crocodile attacks. To reduce resources dependency among coastal inhabitants, management of mangroves ecosystem was undertaken through Focus Group Discussion (FGD) among Forest Development Committees (FDCs) for creating awareness among forest dwellers. Provision of JFM was initiated as an alternative livelihood approach through co-management, though limited success was achieved.

Diabetes in a Disaster Prone Coastal Population of Bangladesh

1.1.Background and aims: A substantial number of studies estimated the prevalence of diabetes in different ethnic groups and geographical sites in Bangladesh. There was no such report on the coastal population. This study addressed the prevalence of diabetes and to determine the diabetes related risks among the coastal people. 1.2.Methods:This study was conducted in six coastal districts (Barisal, Borguna, Vola, Pirojpur, Potuakhali and Jhalukathi) at 32 different coastal communities. All people over 18y were considered eligible. Social, clinical and family history was taken. Heights, weight, waist- and hip-girth were measured. Resting blood pressure was recorded. Fasting blood glucose and lipids were assessed. 1.3.Results:The crude prevalence of T2DM of both sexes was 8.8% [95% CI, 8.15 – 9.45] and IFG was 10.0% [95% CI 9.31 – 10.69].Compared with the poor the middle (OR= 1.36, CI, 1.18 – 1.57) and the rich classes (OR=1.80, CI, 1.50 – 2.16) had excess risk for diabetes. The participants with known family history of diabetes had higher risk (OR= 2.90, CI, 2.54 – 3.31) than those with negative or unknown history. Based on logistic regressions of different models, irrespective of sex, higher social class of known diabetic family and higher quartiles of age, BMI, WHR and WHtR were proved to be the independent risk factors for diabetes. 1.4.Conclusions:The coastal population showed higher prevalence than the Bangladeshi rural and indigenous people. The rich social class, family history of diabetes and advancing age were the independent risk factors for developing diabetes. Both general and central obesity were found to have equal risk. Further study may be undertaken to confirm our study findings and to determine other unexplored risks like less physical activities, unhealthy dietary habit or psychosocial stress rendering the coastal people more susceptible to metabolic disorder and diabetes.

Qualitative analysis of coping strategies of cyclone disaster in coastal area of Bangladesh

This paper is an attempt to explore the indigenous coping strategies of cyclone-affected coastal people, especially in southwestern part of Bangladesh. This study has been conducted by using qualitative methods, i.e., case study, key informants interviews and focus group discussion were adopted to get the vivid and comprehensive panorama of coping strategies of cyclone-affected coastal people. The paper examines that coastal people envisaged with frequent and severe natural hazards throughout the years which severely affect their everyday life. The findings indicate that in order to cope with the hazards, coastal people change their housing structure, search new jobs, migrate elsewhere, rear alternative livestock, borrow money, take relief and so on. The findings also indicate that local people can perceive and predict about the imminent hazards by observing different indicators and take initiative for disaster prevention, mitigation and adaptation from their existing traditional knowledge and practices. There has not been conducted much empirical research on indigenous coping strategies of coastal people in natural hazards, so policy maker can get a comprehensive view about this context and implement it to national policy for comprehensive disaster management and adaptation.

The Mine Island Aboriginal stone arrangements: spiritual responses to late Holocene change on the central Queensland coast

The Mine Island stone arrangement complex is a large ceremonial complex on the central Queensland coast. The arrangements are in excess of 2 km of looping and U-shaped aligned stones. A series of middens, directly adjacent to the stone arrangements, was recently excavated, providing potential chronological insights into the construction and ceremonial use of the stone arrangement. We posit that these stone arrangements represent a shared spirituality linking coastal peoples for over 300 km of coastline, the inception of which was possibly linked to a range of broader changes impacting coastal hunter-gatherers on the central Queensland coast after around 500 BP.

The potential change on health impacts of extreme weather events in coastal areas of Bangladesh

Introduction: Bangladesh is recognized as one of the high risk countries in the world that is prone to natural disasters. Due to its geographical location, topography, high population density, poverty and lower adaptive competence it is considered to be highly vulnerable to natural disasters in the world. The coastal part of the country is the most vulnerable and the southwestern part of the coastal area is identified as environmentally handicapped by climate change. Methods: This study was devised following the recent super cyclone Sidr that hit Bangladesh in November 2007 and cyclone Aila that hit in May 2009. The study aims to assess the impact of extreme weather event like cyclone on health of the coastal population of Bangladesh. This study was conducted in the cyclone Sidr-affected Amtali Upazila of Barguna District and in the cyclone Aila-affected Koyra Upazila of Khulna district. A total of approximately 1000 households were selected by using the multistage cluster sampling technique from both villages for questionnaire survey . Results: The study result shows that diarrhea, skin disease and mental health problems increased after the cyclones. The multivariable analysis shows that age of the respondents, gender, monthly income and educational level of the household heads and number of living children in the family have statistically significant effect on causing health problems before and after the cyclone Sidr and Aila. Conclusion: It can be concluded that extreme weather events like cyclones Sidr and Aila making the lives of the coastal people more difficult and also it increases the vulnerability in the society for poor people, elderly, children and women. Since this is a fairly unexplored research area, more empirical research work is needed to establish the impact of extreme weather events on health of the coastal people in Bangladesh. Key words: coastal area, Bangladesh, extreme weather, health, cyclone

Job and residential location changes responding to floods and cyclones: an analysis based on a cross-nested logit model

With the increasing impacts of climate change, many people in Bangladesh are being forced to move their homes and/or change their jobs. Unfortunately, little is known about how people jointly decide on their jobs and residential location changes in association with the influence of climate change disasters. The main purpose of this paper is to examine how residents in coastal and inland areas may change their jobs and/or residential location under different scenarios of potential impacts of floods and cyclones by comparing socioeconomic and experiential factors. A stated preference survey was conducted in 14 coastal and inland areas of Bangladesh. As a result, 788 respondents provided 3152 valid samples (1948 from coastal areas and 1204 from inland areas). Analysis results based on a cross-nested logit model indicate that flood has no obvious impact on choices of inland people, and flood and cyclone have limited effects on people’s choices in coastal areas, except for cyclone intensity. Income is not significant in the decisions of the coastal people, but it does matter to the inland people. The inland people are more likely to depend on government help during disasters. However, the coastal people’s decisions are driven by different factors in a complicated way. The inland people prefer changing their jobs to changing their residential locations, but the coastal people are slightly more aggressive in deciding to change their residential location in response to flood. Structural differences of choice behaviors under flood and cyclone are also revealed. Finally, policy implications are discussed.

Drinking Water Sodium and Elevated Blood Pressure of Healthy Pregnant Women in Salinity-Affected Coastal Areas.

Coastal areas in Southeast Asia are experiencing high sodium concentrations in drinking water sources that are commonly consumed by local populations. Salinity problems caused by episodic cyclones and subsequent seawater inundations are likely (partly) related to climate change and further exacerbated by changes in upstream river flow and local land-use activities. Dietary (food) sodium plays an important role in the global burden of hypertensive disease. It remains unknown, however, if sodium in drinking water-rather than food-has similar effects on blood pressure and disease risk. In this study, we examined the effect of drinking water sodium on blood pressure of pregnant women: increases in blood pressure in this group could severely affect maternal and fetal health. Data on blood pressure, drinking water source, and personal, lifestyle, and environmental confounders was obtained from 701 normotensive pregnant women residing in coastal Bangladesh. Generalized linear mixed regression models were used to investigate association of systolic and diastolic blood pressure of these-otherwise healthy-women with their water source. After adjustment for confounders, drinkers of tube well and pond water (high saline sources) were found to have significantly higher average systolic (+4.85 and +3.62 mm Hg) and diastolic (+2.30 and +1.72 mm Hg) blood pressures than rainwater drinkers. Drinking water salinity problems are expected to exacerbate in the future, putting millions of coastal people-including pregnant women-at increased risk of hypertension and associated diseases. There is an urgent need to further explore the health risks associated to this understudied environmental health problem and feasibility of possible adaptation strategies.

EFFECT OF VARIOUS DIETARY SEAWEEDS ON THE GROWTH OF GOLD-MOUTH TURBAN (Turbo chrysostomus L., 1758) AT LOMBOK, INDONESIA

Gold-mouth turban (Turbo chrysostomus L., 1758) is an important source of protein for coastal people in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. In order to acquire its seed production technique, research on the culture of the species was carried out since 2012. Feed source is a key concern when culturing animal, including turban snail. Growth of gold-mouth turban fed with seaweed Gracilaria sp., Ulva spp., and Kappaphycus alvarezii was evaluated. Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of 30 snail juveniles with an initial body weight and shell length of 4.65 ± 0.00 g and 24.55 ± 0.08 mm, respectively. After six weeks feeding trial, snails fed with Gracilaria sp. diet had significantly higher (P < 0.05) in final weight, final shell length, weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR) and food intake compared to snails fed with Ulva spp. or K. alvarezii diets.