CURRENT-AFFAIRS

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• According to a recent study, water temperatures in and around Australia's Great Barrier Reef have surged to their highest levels in 400 years over the past decade.
• About the Great Barrier Reef:
  • It is a vast network of coral reefs, shoals, and islets located in the Pacific Ocean.
  • Positioned off Australia's northeastern coast in the Coral Sea, it is the longest and largest reef system globally, and the most extensive living structure on Earth.
  • Stretching roughly 2,300 kilometers in a northwest-southeast direction, the reef's offshore distance varies from 16 to 160 kilometers, with a width ranging between 60 and 250 kilometers.
  • Covering approximately 350,000 square kilometers, the reef consists of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and over 900 islands, and is so large it can be seen from space.
  • In 1981, UNESCO designated the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Site.
  • Much of the reef is a marine protected area, overseen by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority of Australia.
• Biodiversity:
  • The reef supports around 2,000 fish species and approximately 600 types of coral.
  • It is home to 4,000 species of mollusks and over 250 shrimp species.
  • Additionally, the reef shelters six of the seven known sea turtle species, more than a dozen sea snake species, and nearly twenty bird species.

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• A recently identified species of ground-dwelling spider, Asceua tertia, has been discovered in the Western Ghats.
• About Asceua tertia:
  • This newly discovered spider species hails from the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, a key part of the Western Ghats. Asceua tertia is the third documented species within the genus Asceua in India, following Asceua cingulata (Simon, 1905) and Asceua thrippalurensis (Sankaran, 2023). The genus belongs to the Zodariidae family, known for its ant-eating spiders. Asceua tertia is noted for its small size, laterally compressed bulbs, pronounced cymbial folds, intricately coiled copulatory ducts, and dual femoral glands.
• Features of Asceua tertia:
  • Size: Males range from 2.54 mm, while females are slightly larger at 3.2 mm.
  • Males: They exhibit a yellow-brown prosoma and legs and palps that are creamy white to yellow-brown with broad brown patches and thin longitudinal stripes. The abdomen is characterized by three pairs of narrow, creamy white, oblique stripes, a white dot towards the rear, and several tiny creamy white spots along the sides.
  • Females: They have a dark brown prosoma and a broad, oval abdomen adorned with four pairs of creamy white stripes, plus small anterior and broad posterior creamy white patches on the sides.
  • Key Facts about Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary:
  • Location: Situated in the Kollam district of Kerala, part of the Western Ghats in India.
  • Naming: The sanctuary is named after the Chenkurinji (Gluta travancorica), a tree endemic to the region.
  • Management: It falls under the jurisdiction of the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve.
  • Flora: The sanctuary is predominantly covered with tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests.
  • Fauna: Home to a diverse range of wildlife including tigers, gaurs, elephants, sambar deer, sloth bears, as well as the Malabar Raven, Malabar banded swallowtail, and Red-disc Bushbrown.

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• The Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) in Kasaragod has recently issued a recommendation for managing ‘kole roga’ (fruit rot disease) in arecanut plantations.
• About Fruit Rot Disease:
  • Fruit rot disease poses a serious threat to crops, leading to reduced quality and potential marketability issues. In severe cases, it can even result in plant death. This condition is triggered by various fungi, bacteria, and viruses, making it challenging to prevent and treat effectively. The disease is particularly prevalent during periods of continuous heavy rainfall, low temperatures (20 to 23 °C), high relative humidity (>90%), and alternating rain and sunshine.
• Symptoms:
  • Brown or black spots appearing on the fruit
  • Softening of the fruit
  • Shrivelling of the fruit
  • Presence of mould on the fruit
• The most common causative agent of fruit rot is Botrytis cinerea, a fungus that affects numerous fruits such as grapes, strawberries, tomatoes, and peppers. This fungus typically enters the plant through wounds or lesions on the leaves or fruit and thrives in humid conditions. Once it establishes itself, it can rapidly spread throughout the crop, leading to extensive rot. Additionally, the fungi responsible for fruit rot can produce toxins that may be harmful to both humans and animals.

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• A group of climbers from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) in Darjeeling recently reached Uhuru Peak, the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
• About Mount Kilimanjaro:
  • Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa and the world’s largest free-standing mountain, meaning it is not part of a mountain range. Situated in northeastern Tanzania, near the border with Kenya, Kilimanjaro stretches approximately 50 miles (80 km) from east to west. The mountain is classified as a stratovolcano and consists of three distinct volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. Among these, Kibo is the highest and is currently a dormant volcano, while Mawenzi and Shira are extinct.
• Uhuru Peak, located on Kibo's volcanic cone, stands as the highest free-standing peak in Africa. Kilimanjaro is renowned for its snow-capped summit, despite its location near the equator. The mountain features five major vegetation zones, ascending from the base to the peak: Lower slopes, montane forest, heath and moorland, alpine desert, and summit. In 1987, Kilimanjaro National Park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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• A newly discovered flowering plant species from the Ceropegia genus has been identified within the Vishalgad premises in Maharashtra and named Ceropegia Shivrayiana.
• About Ceropegia Shivrayiana:
  • This new species is named in honor of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, reflecting its discovery in the historic Vishalgad Fort associated with him. The plant features distinctive tubular flowers specifically evolved to attract moths for pollination. It thrives in rocky environments and is adapted to grow in nutrient-poor soils. As a member of the Asclepiadaceae family, which encompasses various medicinal plants, Ceropegia Shivrayiana plays a significant ecological role. Its conservation is crucial due to the ongoing threats from habitat loss.
• Key Facts about Vishalgad Fort:
  • Location: Vishalgad Fort is situated in Vishalgad village in the Kolhapur district of Maharashtra.
  • Historical Significance: Known locally as Khelna or Khilna, this fort was a key stronghold of the Maratha Empire. It was constructed in 1058 by Shilahara king Marsinh and originally named Khilgil.
  • Historical Rule: The fort has been under the control of various rulers, including the Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri, Allauddin Khilji, the Vijayanagar Empire, and the Adil Shahi dynasty.
  • Maratha Period: In 1659, Shivaji Maharaj captured the fort from Adil Shah and renamed it Vishalgad.
  • Notable Structures within the Fort:
  • Dargah: The renowned Dargah of Hazrat Sayed Malik Rehan Meera Saheb, a popular site among tourists.
  • Temples: The fort also houses several notable temples, including Amruteshwar Temple, Shri Nrusinha Temple, and Sati's Vrindavan.

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• Recently, Japan’s meteorological agency has reported an elevated risk of strong seismic activity and significant tsunamis along the Nankai Trough.
• About the Nankai Trough:
  • The Nankai Trough is a major “subduction zone” located in the Pacific Ocean, where two tectonic plates converge. This area is known for its history of large earthquakes. The subduction zone extends nearly 900 km and marks the boundary where the Eurasian Plate is being forced beneath the Philippine Sea Plate, pushing it into the Earth's mantle.
• Location and History:
  • Geographic Span: The Nankai Trough stretches from Shizuoka, west of Tokyo, to the southern tip of Kyushu Island.
  • Seismic Activity: This region has experienced destructive earthquakes with magnitudes of eight or nine approximately every century or two. These powerful “megathrust quakes,” which often occur in pairs, have historically generated severe tsunamis impacting Japan’s southern coast.

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• Recently, the Neelakurinji, a purplish flowering shrub, has been added to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of threatened species.
• About Neelakurinji:
  • Neelakurinji is a unique purplish flowering shrub that blooms only once every 12 years. This endemic shrub typically reaches a height of about three meters and is found exclusively in the high-altitude shola grassland ecosystems of five mountain ranges in southwest India, at elevations ranging from 1,340 to 2,600 meters.
• Distribution and Lifecycle:
  • Distribution: Neelakurinji has 34 subpopulations scattered across 14 ecoregions within the high-altitude mountain ranges of southwest India. There are 33 subpopulations in the Western Ghats and one in the Eastern Ghats, specifically in Yercaud, Shevaroy Hills.
  • Blooming Pattern: The shrub is semelparous, meaning it flowers and fruits synchronously once every 12 years at the end of its lifecycle, a pattern documented since 1832.
• Cultural Significance:
  • Naming: The Nilgiri Hills, translating to "Blue Mountains," are named after the blue flowers of the Neelakurinji.
  • Tribal Reference: The Paliyan tribes in Tamil Nadu use the blooming cycle of Neelakurinji to calculate their ages.
• Threats and Conservation Status:
  • Threats: Neelakurinji is threatened primarily by habitat loss due to the conversion of its montane high-altitude grasslands for tea and softwood plantations, as well as urbanization.
  • Global Assessment: This is the first global Red List assessment for Neelakurinji, a flagship species of the montane grasslands in southwest India.
  • Conservation Status: The latest assessment categorizes Neelakurinji as Vulnerable (Criteria A2c) on the IUCN Red List, confirming its threatened status.

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• Recently, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) unveiled a new initiative titled Polar Coupled Analysis and Prediction for Services.
• Aim of the Project:
  • The primary goal of this project is to enhance and refine weather, water, ice, and climate information for both the Arctic and Antarctic regions. It aims to advance the development of observation systems and Earth system models, while also advocating for better forecasting services. This initiative is part of the WMO's World Weather Research Programme (WWRP).
• Key Facts about the World Weather Research Programme (WWRP):
  • Purpose: The WWRP focuses on advancing research to improve weather predictions and their societal impacts, spanning from minutes to months in advance.
  • Objectives:
  • Advance Research: Conduct research on the Earth system across timescales from minutes to months.
  • Science-for-Services: Employ a science-for-services value cycle approach to deliver actionable weather information at local and regional levels.
  • Enhance Warnings: Improve warning processes to better manage increasing risks and the dynamic nature of extreme weather impacts.
  • Reduce Uncertainty: Quantify and minimize uncertainty in predictions across timescales ranging from minutes to months.