A survey by the CSIR-Nationwide Institute of Oceanography (NIO) on the environmental influence of the sinking of the container ship MSC Elsa 3 off the Kerala coast on May 25, 2025 discovered a lifeless and deformed marine turtle on the shipwreck web site and disintegration of oil slick into fragments beneath the motion of heavy monsoonal winds and currents.

In line with the preliminary findings of the survey carried out between July 25 to August 21, 2025 onboard the analysis vessel Sagar Sampada, a big patch of oil movie was noticed on the floor and it aligned additional with the waves in direction of coastal areas. “Intense coastal upwelling alongside the southwest coast of India, the place traces of Arabian Sea high-saline water plenty had been seen,” it stated.

The water column of coastal stations that embody Kozhikode, Munambam, Kochi, Alappuzha and Colachel was discovered extra oxygen-depleted than different transects, indicating the affect of oxygen minimal zone (OMZ) within the southeastern Arabian Sea. Gelatinous plankton was considerable within the zooplankton nets from the Kollam coast and northward. Blooms of gelatinous plankton had been noticed within the coastal stations (10 m, 20 m, 30 m and 50 m) of Kochi, Alappuzha and Kollam, as per the preliminary report.

The presence of Noctiluca bloom and bioluminescence was noticed from the Kollam to Kozhikode stretch. An intensive Noctiluca bloom with discolouration of the higher floor waters was discovered at a coastal location (20 m) off Arthunkal.

The Kerala authorities had entrusted the Kerala State Air pollution Management Board (KSPCB) to have interaction the CSIR-NIO to hold out a long-term research to evaluate the extent of environmental harm brought on by the shipwreck at a complete mission price of ₹10 crore.

The company will even develop a complete restoration technique and assessment current maritime rules, emergency response protocols and legal responsibility frameworks. The ultimate report based mostly on all area surveys is anticipated by July 30, 2026, as per a standing report submitted by the KSPCB earlier than the Principal Bench of the Nationwide Inexperienced Tribunal.

The Bench, comprising Prakash Shrivastava, chairperson, and A. Senthil Vel, knowledgeable member, had said that the incident violated the provisions beneath the Biodiversity Act, 2002; Water (Prevention and Management of Air pollution) Act, 1974 and the Surroundings Safety Act, 1986. The tribunal had taken suo motu cognisance of the report titled ‘Containers from sunken ship likely to drift towards Alappuzha, Kollam coasts in 48 hours: INCOIS’ printed in The Hindu.