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CSIR - National Institute of Oceanography Dona Paula, Goa, India - 403 004 (A constituent laboratory of CSIR Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) CSIR-NIO : Mission, History and Research areas Mission: To continuously improve our understanding of the seas around us and to translate this knowledge to benefit all CSIR- National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) with its headquarters at Dona Paula, Goa, and regional centres at Kochi, Mumbai and Visakhapatnam, is one of the 37 constituent laboratories of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR). NIO was established on 1 January 1966 following the International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE) that was undertaken from 1962 to 1965. The institute has a sanctioned strength of 200 scientists, 200 technical staff and 170 administrative and support staff. The major research areas include the four traditional branches of oceanography - biology, chemistry, physics and geology and geophysics, besides ocean engineering, marine instrumentation and archaeology. The major ongoing research projects are: Ÿ Ocean Science towards Forecasting Indian Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ The red filled circles show cities where the 37 laboratories of the CSIR Network are located. The open circles show the locations of the three Regional Centres of NIO, whose headquarters are in Goa on the west coast of India. Marine Living Resource Potential Geological Processes in the Indian Ocean – Understanding the Input Fluxes, Sinks and Paleoceanography Geo-scientific Investigations for Deciphering the Earth's Internal Processes and Exploration of Energy Resources Indian Aquatic Ecosystems: Impact of Deoxygenation, Eutrophication and Acidification Analyses and Harnessing of Marine Biodiversity for Bioremediation of Aquaculture and other Industrial Effluents Impact of Natural and Anthropogenic Stresses on the Coastal Environment of India Geological and Geophysical Studies of Coastal Zone of India Development of Autonomous Platforms for Ocean Applications Marine Ecological Assessment and Studies for Sustainable Development in the Coastal and Shelf Areas along West Coast of India Ecobiogeography and Biotechnology of Estuaries and Coastal Waters of India Coastal Processes and Tectonics of Eastern Continental Margin of India Environment Processes Tectonics 1 Resources Instrumentation Biotechnology Ocean processes The Indian Ocean north of about 10oS latitude (the Hydrological Front) is unique in several respects. The Equatorial Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal experience markedly different physical, chemical and biological processes that have been the main focus areas of NIO's research. traps solar energy in the shallow mixed layer, facilitating deep convection necessary for cyclogenesis and also affecting circulation. Ÿ NIO has been involved in long-term measurements of currents in the Equatorial Indian Ocean since February 2000 through deployment of 7 deep-sea moorings as a part of the Ocean Observing System (OOS) programme. Circulation, hydrography and sea-level rise NIO researchers have played a leading role in defining the nature of seasonality in currents in the North Indian Ocean, particularly along Indian coasts. Observations and models have shown that circulation needs to be looked at holistically across the basin because the winds at a location influence not only the local current, but have an impact on the current at remote locations at a later time through propagation of large scale wave. Mooring locations in Equatorial Indian Ocean. Observations supported by models reveal intraseasonal variability in meridional currents at biweekly (14 day) period in the upper 1000 m, and also in the deep-ocean (2000 m and 4000m) and this is linked to the propagation of surface wind energy into the deep ocean. Surface currents along the Indian coast (WICC - West Indian Coastal Current, EICC- East Indian Coastal Current, LHLakshadweep High, LL- Lakshdweep Low). Ÿ Measurements and models indicate role of local winds as well as remote forcing by large scale waves originating far from the region. Ÿ Large influx of fresh water through river runoff and precipitation causes strong stratification in the Bay of Bengal, which Eastward velocity (cm/s) at lat : 1°N, lon: 77°E Alongshore currents as a function of depth (upper panel), measured using ADCPs deployed on the continental slope off Goa. The blue shade shows equatorward and the red shade shows poleward flow. Lower panel shows alongshore currents at selected depths. 2 Ÿ Observations supported by models reveal intraseasonal variability in meridional currents at biweekly (14 day) period in the upper 1000 m, and also in the deep-ocean (2000 m and 4000 m) and this is linked to the propagation of surface wind energy into the deep equatorial Indian ocean. -1 Ÿ Tide-gauge records indicate 1.3 mm year sea- level rise trends along the Indian coast during the last century. Biological productivity and carbon export in the North Indian Ocean Schematic of winter convection and nutrient supply to the euphotic zone from sub-surface waters. Ÿ The Northwestern Indian Ocean is the only oceanic region experiencing large-scale winddriven, seasonal upwelling along its western and eastern boundaries, enhancing primary production over a large area. Schematic of marine food web (left) and microbial loop (right). Satellite derived chlorophyll in August. Ÿ Consumption of the DOC during the following oligotrophic spring intermonsoon helps sustain high zooplankton biomass throughout the year (the Arabian Sea Paradox). However, during late SW monsoon low dissolved iron concentrations limit production off Oman affecting nutrient export to open ocean, food web structure, carbon export to deep sea and subsurface oxygen utilization Ÿ Mesoscale eddies, cold- as well as warm-core, play a key role in Bay of Bengal biogeochemistry with the cold-core (cyclonic) eddies supplying nutrients to surface waters, enhancing productivity in relatively oligotrophic, highly stratified region Ÿ Arabian Sea is the only tropical basin which experiences winter convection and nutrient enrichment leading to non-diatomaceous phytoplankton blooms. Export of particulate organic matter during this period is low, but dissolved organic carbon build-up in the surface layer supports the microbial loop. Satellite derived sea-level height anomaly depicting the cold-core (blue) and warm-core (red) eddies in the Bay of Bengal (January 2003). 3 Oxygen minimum zones Ÿ Despite large releases of nutrients on land, nutrient fluxes to estuaries and coastal areas are only moderately high. Estuaries are mostly netheterotrophic serving as sources of greenhouse gases. Ÿ Sediment trap studies have shown strong seasonality in particulate organic and inorganic carbon fluxes with higher fluxes during the SW and NE monsoons. The CO2 draw-down by the “biological pump” is stronger in the Bay of Bengal because of the “ballast” provided by lithogenic material. The North Indian Ocean experiences acute oxygen depletion at mid-depths, but the oxygen minimum zones (OMZ) of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal are vastly different (i.e. reducing conditions including denitrification/anammox occur only in the Arabian Sea) Arabian Sea OMZ is anomalously located – geographically separated from productive upwelling zones of the western Arabian Sea Arabian Sea suboxic zone 0.2 1 2 3 4 4 3 2 Mean biweekly averaged organic carbon flux in the Arabian Sea. 1 0.2 Maximum Nitrite (µM) Ÿ The Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal differ considerably in terms of carbon cycling owing to contrasting hydrography and biogeochemistry: The Arabian Sea is a perennial source of CO2 to the atmosphere whereas the Bay of Bengal is a seasonal sink. Mesopelagic oxygen deficiency greatly affects biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (high bacterial but low zooplankton biomass, great abundance of lantern-fish.: Arabian Sea OMZ accounts for 1/3rd of global pelagic N2 production N2O consumption within the reducing zone, but large production at peripheries - strong net source Reduction of other polyvalent elements (e.g. Fe and Mn) Carbon budget for a part of the Arabian Sea. 4 Marine biodiversity The Indian Ocean is a region of very high biological diversity. NIO has been analyzing and documenting diversity of all forms of life – microbes, plants and animals - from various marine ecosystems. the biological pump. They are responsible for ~ 30% of organic flux to the deeper layers in the our seas. Since the days of the International Indian Ocean Expedition, NIO has played the key role in documenting zooplankton abundance and composition in the Indian Ocean publishing a large number of atlases and research papers Phytoplankton: Inhabiting the upper, euphotic water column, these microscopic, self -replicating organisms are the primary producers of organic matter, forming the base of marine food chain/web. Major phytoplankton groups are diatoms, dinoflagellates, silicoflagellates and coccolithophorids. NIO has so far identified ~400 different species of phytoplankton. The annual average primary production in the Arabian Sea is ~600 mg C m-2 in the upper 120 m column. This is about twice that in the Bay of Bengal. This production supports the rest of the marine life. 1400 Benthos: Animal and plant species inhabiting the seafloor (from intertidal to deep-ocean) such as bivalves, gastropods, polychaetes, star fishes and corals are important contributors to biogeochemical cycling and fluxes. NIO has been studying benthos from different habitats. Their type, abundance and distribution are adversely affected by pollution and coastal disturbance. The ongoing deoxygenation and acidification make these organisms vulnerable to global change. Spring intermonsoon (March-May) NorthEast monsoon (November-February) SouthWest Monsoon (June-August) Annual Average 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 Oceanic Coastal Arabian Sea Oceanic Coastal Molecular biological technologies such as Density Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE), DNA sequencing and in-situ hybridization are used to describe diversity of bacteria, archaea and fungi in our marine ecosystems. Bay of Bengal Phytoplankton can form blooms and some of them can be harmful. The incidences of such blooms along the coast of India have increased in the recent past. Zooplankton: Zooplankton are tiny animal communities that link primary producers with animals at higher trophic levels including fish in marine food chains. Considered to be the gatekeepers of organic carbon flux to the deep sea, zooplankton are also crucial in the functioning of 5 Marine ecology the adult and the dissolved sugars in the surrounding environment provide the necessary chemical cues for attracting the population of its conspecifics. Ÿ Physical forcing such as winds and currents along the central west coast of India helps in the transport of the larvae from their spawning sites hugging the coast and contributes to the population within the estuaries. Ÿ The extent of barnacle larval dispersal from the spawning sites off Goa varies from 10-78 km. NIO has carried out investigations to unravel interactions between the environment and organisms Benthic ecology Rocky shores provide a unique habitat for a gamut of organisms. Amongst them, sessile organisms form an important component. Evaluating the changes in their population structure provides insights to ecosystem functioning and to understand the influences of environment and climatic perturbations. Barnacles are dominant inhabitants of the rocky intertidal region. Diatom-Bacteria interplay Diatom-Bacteria co-occur and interact in numerous ways. In order to decipher this interplay, experiments have been carried out with benthic diatoms through the application of 'antibiotics'. Barnacle, Balaus amphitrite Ÿ Adult barnacles respond to cues provided by the phytoplankton bloom and spawn so that the larvae are released to food rich environment. This facilitates successful larval development a n d s e t t l e m e n t . H o w e v e r, s u c h a synchronization in monsoon season is impacted by the intra seasonal variations in the rainfall intensity and monsoon break periods. Positive/Negative Interplay between diatoms and bacteria Ÿ Application of Penicillin, a β-lactam antibiotic that can affect diatoms only through bacteria, resulted in bacterial suppression and changed diatom species composition. Ÿ Diatom communities were less susceptible to bacterial modulation during the south-west monsoon. Plankton Ecology Microbe-metazoa interaction The exoskeleton of most zooplankton is made up of chitin. Degradation of chitin involves a cascade of processes involving chitinase enzymes produced by the microbes. Ÿ Bacterial community undergoes alterations during the degradation process. Ÿ Bacterial population associated with the exoskeleton of live zooplankton changes once treated with chitinase and lead to the emergence of undetected forms. Barnacle life cycle. Ÿ Barnacles have a larval life cycle in the planktonic mode and find their metamorphosis destination to develop into a conspecific community. In the case of Balanus amphitrite a dominant barnacle, it was observed that the interaction between glycoproteins produced by 6 Marine biotechnology Marine organisms offer various biotechnological options. Some of these that have been undertaken by NIO include • Searches for Bioactive Substances from Marine Organisms • Isolation of microbes and evaluation of their metabolite production potential • Searches for Biomolecules through Biodiversity Analyses & Molecular Phylogenetics • Isolation of Jorumycin, an isoquinoline alkaloid from nudibranch. This anti-cancer alkaloid has proven effective against leukemia- and lymphoma cell lines • Marine bacterial strains for Bioactive Leads: Over 29000 pure cultures of bacteria isolated and got them screened for anti-cancer, antidiabetic, anti-infective and anti-inflammatory activities. Among them, Over 4000 isolates have shown potential for some/all of these activities. • Detoxification of Hg, Cr, As etc using marine microbes The pharmacological extracts include: Ÿ Stress reducing/sedative anti-anxiyolitics Ÿ Toxins from phytoplankton Ÿ Microbial pigments useful in food coloring These studies have led to various industrial applications such as Ÿ Laboratory-scale demonstration of textile mill effluent decolorization using a marine fungus. Ÿ Bioremediation of industrial wastes by a highly active fungal laccase enzyme Ÿ Brightening of newsprint and photocopy paper pulp using metabolites of a marine bacterium Ÿ Characterization of a cyclic peptide, a novel broad-spectrum antibiotic, from a bacterium effective at nanogram levels against many pathogenic bacteria Application in paper industry (paper recycling). NIO has studied the breeding and distribution of horse shoe crabs and sea-horses along the Indian coast and developed lab techniques for rearing these charismatic species for biomedical applications. 7 Human Imprint on Aquatic Environment A key area of NIO's research is the impact of natural and human-induced stresses such as deoxygenation, eutrophication and acidification on biogeochemistry and ecosystems in freshwater and marine environments Freshwater NIO is studying cycling of carbon, nutrients (especially nitrogen) and trace metals in groundwater, selected natural lakes and man-made reservoirs. Significant results are as follows: Ÿ Indian lakes and reservoirs experience moderate eutrophication and methane buildup during summer anoxia despite large anthropogenic nutrient loading Ÿ Anoxygenic photosynthesis contributes significantly to primary production. Ÿ Large mobilization of Fe (II) and Mn (II) occurs within anoxic hypoliminia. Induced carbon dioxide sequestration LOHAFEX – NIO organized an international ocean iron fertilization (OIF) experiment in low silicate, high nitrate subantarctic zone of South Atlantic to test the efficacy of OIF for sequestering atmospheric CO2 yielding following main results: Ÿ OIF led to a non-diatom (flagellate) bloom that was grazed by zooplankton Ÿ Accumulation of particulate and dissolved organic matter in the surface layer accounted for bulk of increase in net community production (NCP) with little export to deep sea Year long time series in Tillari Reservoir Ÿ Small decrease (<15 µatm) in pCO2. Due to Seawater widespread occurrence of Si-poor conditions in the Southern Ocean, potential of OIF for CO2 sequestration is not very large Since 1997, NIO has been carrying out regular monitoring of the largest naturally-formed, coastal low- O2 zone in the world that develops seasonally over the western continental shelf of India to investigate human impact on coastal biogeochemistry and ecology. Results show: Ÿ Intensification of O2 deficiency (emergence of sulphidic conditions since 1970s), large interannual variability, but no clear-long term trend Ÿ Record accumulation of N2O Ÿ Hypoxia greatly impacts biology and fisheries Modis chlorophyll a composite image (12 to 14 Feb 2009) 8 Bioinvasion NIO is actively engaged in monitoring the health of Indian coastal environs through: Cargo ships carry annually 3-5 billion tonnes of ballast water around the world. Introduction of harmful aquatic organisms to new environments by ships represents one of the most serious threats to the oceans, with potentially devastating impacts on ecology and human health. With 12 major ports and expanding maritime activity, India needs an effective ballast water management programme. The programme coordinated by NIO involves: Ÿ Seasonal monitoring of water, sediment, biological and microbiological parameters an overall index of pollution (OIP) Use of biota as indicators of toxic metal contamination. Development of protocols using specific biomarkers/ biological indicators to provide early warning signals of pollution. Testing and certification of dispersants used to combat oil spills. Providing advisories to coastal stake- holders through Environmental Impact Assessments. Use of numerical models to predict trajectories of oil spills and trans-port of tar balls and other pollutants. Ÿ Establishing Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Biological baseline surveys in ports Ballast water risk assessment Ballast water sampling & analysis Electronic ballast water reporting form Marine organism database for Indian ports Identification of ballast water discharge location in emergency Model simulated trajectory of oil spill off Goa during 23-25 March, 2005 Marine bioinvasion example - Mytilopsis sallei, a small delicate bivalve introduced to India around1967. Presently restricted to Visakhapatnam and Mumbai ports. Being tracked in South/SE Asian countries under an INDIA-ASEAN project. Tidally-averaged residual currents in the Gulf of Kachchh to determine transport of pollutants (ACE and CE indicate anticlockwise and clockwise eddies). 9 Marine Minerals Marine minerals are an important potential resource of metals such as copper, cobalt, nickel and titanium that could be utilized in future in view of increasing demand of these metals and dwindling land reserves. NIO has carried out extensive surveys for such minerals both in shallow waters and the deep sea. Coastal placer minerals of Kalbadevi, Maharashtra Coastal placer minerals Rich reserves of minerals containing titanium, chromium, uranium, thorium, zirconium and gem stones have been found along the coasts of Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and parts of West Bengal . The Ministry of Mines has allotted offshore blocks to placer mining companies. Some of the blocks (off Maharashtra) are from deposits identified by NIO. Large haul of polymetallic nodules from Indian Ocean. Deep-sea polymetallic nodules Exploration with 30,000 km of multibeam sounding data and 11,000 samples has led to India being allotted an area of 75,000 km2 in international waters of Central Indian Ocean Basin that contains large reserves (450 million tonnes) of mineral-rich polymetallic nodules. Estimated reserve of useful metals (Mn, Ni, Cu, Co) is ~100 million tonnes. Investigations have also led to identification of a First Generation Mine site and evaluation of response of deep-sea environment to artificial and natural disturbances. Area claimed by India in Central Indian Ocean. Ferromanganese crusts Rich in Co, Pt and other metals, these crusts are found on oceanic seamounts and abyssal hills. NIO has surveyed an area of 40,000 km2 in the Afanasiy Nikitin Seamount (ANS) area from the equatorial Indian Ocean. Hydrothermal sulphides NIO's efforts have led to the discovery of hydrothermal plumes indicative of new vent fields over the Carlsberg Ridge, signatures of plumes over the Central Indian Ridge and hydrothermal mineralization in the Andaman Sea that are potential sites for minerals rich in Zn, Pb and Cu. Ferromanganese Crust from Indian Ocean. 10 Indication of hydrothermal plume over Carlsberg Ridge, Indian Ocean. Energy from the ocean As petroleum reserves are depleting, search is on for new sources of energy from the oceans. Accounting for over half of the organic carbon reserves, marine gas hydrates (methane clathrate) are an important potential future energy resource. Studies by NIO using bathymetry and thermal gradients have led to generation of the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) thickness map required for prediction of gas hydrates. Potential areas for gas hydrates exploration Drilling has confirmed occurrence of gas hydrate deposits in Krishna-Godavari (KG), Mahanadi and Andaman basins at different depths below the seafloor. Seismic data provided evidence for disseminated and fault-controlled gas hydrate deposits in the offshore KG basin. High attenuation and low velocity below the GHSZ are most likely related to the presence of free gas below the bottom simulating reflector. Methane hydrate recovered from the Krishna-Godavari basin. High velocity (VP> 1.7 km/s) zones with low attenuation imply that hydrate-bearing sediments are less attenuated than the background sediments. JOIDES-Resolution, the drill ship used for hydrate exploration in the Bay of Bengal Bottom simulating reflector (BSR) in the seismic profile is a manifestation of the contact between methane hydrate and underlying gas. 11 Reconstructing the past Paleoceanography deals with the study of the history of the oceans in the geologic past with regard to circulation, chemistry, biology, geology and patterns of sedimentation and biological productivity. Material used for paleo-studies are aquatic sediments, their components and chemically precipitated marine mineral deposits, One of the climate features of the Indian Ocean is the monsoon. Reconstructions of monsoon variability, sea surface temperatures (SST), sea surface salinity (SSS) and interactions between land, ocean and atmosphere is a prerequisite to understand climate forcing in different time scales in order to predict the future climate changes. Indicators of Climate Change Ÿ Reconstruction of calcium carbonate fluctuations during Late Quaternary show that Aragonite compensation depth (ACD) and calcite compensation depth (CCD) in the Indian Ocean are controlled by rapid climate changes through atmospheric and oceanic teleconnections. Ÿ Sea level was ~100 m lower off west coast of Excellent records of past climate are preserved in marine archives dating back to millions of years before present. Biostratigraphic and radiometric dating tools are used to date the geological material. Variations in grain-size, mineralogy and chemical composition of sediments, and abundance, morphology, stable isotopic and elemental composition of skeletal remains of tiny oceanic biota, are some of the proxies that are being used to reconstruct past climatic and oceanographic changes. India 14,500 years ago. Ÿ Changing north-south salinity gradient in the eastern Arabian Sea suggests changes in monsoon intensity Ÿ Slowly depositing sediments and ferromanganese crusts suggest Himalayan erosional events at 0.5 Ma, 0.8 Ma, 10 Ma, ~16Ma and a link between orogeny and climate. Ÿ Prevalence of suboxic condition in the Bay of Bengal from 15.2 ka to 4.5 ka, peaking around 9.5 ka, corresponding to the previously recorded southwest (SW) monsoon intensification Paleo-studies at NIO revealed that Ÿ Indian Monsoon intensification is cyclic in nature and the periodicity varied from centennial to orbital time scales. Key periodicities identified are 400 kyr, 100 kyr, 23 kyr, 2,200 years, 1400 years and 77 years. Ÿ SST estimates based on the faunal composition, alkenones and Magnesium/Calcium ratio show 3°C regional cooling in the Indian Ocean during the last glacial maximum as compared to the Holocene. Ÿ Deglaciation warming in the Indian Ocean started at ca. 19 ka, which is contemporary with the deglacial warming in the Antarctica and southern Ocean. Deglaciation warming in the Indian Ocean is either coeval with or up to 1 kyr before the atmospheric CO2 rise. 'The timing of deglacial increase in seawater temperature in the Eastern Arabian Sea, as compared with global rise in atmospheric CO2, as well as the average northern and southern hemispheric temperature change'. Ÿ A link between the Red Sea out flow and intensification of Indian Monsoon is found between 15.5 to 7.3 kyr. 12 Seafloor Tectonism NIO carries out studies of tectonics to understand various features of the seafloor, their surface and sub-surface expression and evolution. Major outcomes include Ÿ Discovery of seamount chain (consisting of Raman and Panikkar seamounts and the Wadia guyot) in the deep sea off the central Indian west coast Ÿ Mapping of Carlsberg Ridge and Central Indian Ridge revealed finer-scale segmentation pattern of these slow spreading mid-ocean ridges. Geophysical investigations over Carlsberg and Central Indian ridge systems. Ÿ Mineral rich rock assemblages of serpentinities, peridotites and gabbros within axial valley zone of the Carlsberg Ridge and pyrites from spreading centre, seamounts and sediments in the Andaman back arc basin suggest occurrence of hydrothermal activity. Ÿ Identification of prominent hydrothermal plumes over the Carlsberg Ridge in the Indian Ocean suggests the presence of two active hydrothermal vent fields over the ridge at water depths 3500-3800 m. Ÿ Understanding of tectonic framework of the North Indian Ocean Ÿ Formation of Indo-Australian Plate 42 Ma ago and breaking into 3 small sub-plates (India, Australia and Capricorn) around 15.4 Ma Ÿ Ninety East Ridge track was emplaced at a rate of 118 km/Ma, twice the speed of relative motion of the Indian Plate Hydrothermal plume location over Carlsberg ridge Ÿ Mid-oceanic ridge system postulated to have migrated in order to create space for Antarctic Plate Shaded region and triangle show the location of diffuse plate boundary and diffuse triple junction, respectively between Indian, Australian and Capricorn sub-plates. Cratered seamount in Andaman Sea 13 Marine Instrumentation In order to strengthen our research capabilities, NIO strives to develop new technologies for ocean observations. Marine Robotics I. Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) 'Maya' Ÿ Max depth : 200 m Ÿ Endurance: ~ 7 hour @ 1.5 m/s Ÿ Technology transfer to i. Larsen and Toubro Limited, Mumbai. ii. VEA Automation and Robotics Pvt. Ltd., Coimbatore. Autonomous Underwater Vehicle 'Maya' II. Autonomous Vertical Profiler (AVP) Ÿ Max depth : 200 m Ÿ Speed: 0-1 m/s Ÿ Weight in air: ~ 13 kg Ÿ Endurance: ~ 2 dives / day to 100 m for 15 days Ÿ Technology transfer to Control Technologies, Bengaluru This technology has applications in: • • • • Fisheries research Climate related studies Pollution monitoring Satellite validation The users of AVP include • • • SAC (ISRO), Ahmedabad CMFRI (ICAR), Kochi CSIR-NIO and its regional centres Autonomous Vertical Profiler Oceanographic instruments I. Sea-level gauges II. Autonomous weather stations (AWS) Integrated Coastal Observation Network (ICON) Real-time network of sea-level gauges and autonomous weather station (AWS) developed Ÿ 14 stations in Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. Ÿ Ÿ Data on Internet server at ~ 10-min intervals, using GPRS cellular modems provides graphical sea-level information, surface meteorological variables - //inet.nio.org Sea Level Gauge 14 Autonomous Weather Station Services to Industry and Society NIO extends support to a large number of industries/facilities such as ports and harbours, oil and gas companies, power plants, and chemical & pharmaceutical companies. Use of coastal and offshore areas for these activities requires systematic study of the marine environment. Services offered include: • Bathymetry, shallow seismic and side scan sonar surveys Setting up of baseline station for shoreline survey. Deployment of wave rider buoy. • Collection of shallow core samples • Geo-technical investigations • Studies related to coastal zone management • Delineation of Coastal Regulation Zone • Environmental Impact Assessment • Environmental monitoring • Simulation of meteorological and oceanographic parameters (winds, waves, tides and currents) based on numerical modelling • Oil spill prediction and risk analysis and preparation of contingency plans • Feasibility studies including identification of suitable sites for marine facilities Installation of instrument in surf zone. • Oceanographic design parameters for marine facilities • Testing of oil spill dispersants • Underwater inspection and videography (e.g. identification of remains of MV River Princess for Goa Government) Marine Archaeology NIO carries out underwater explorations in coastal areas, examining submerged objects/structures (e.g., past habitation sites, ports, ship wrecks and anchors) for reconstruction of ancient civilizations, maritime history, trade routes and shoreline changes. These studies have provided evidences for Recording echosounder data. • rich maritime practices of India • submerged habitation and port sites along the west and east coasts of India • overseas trade and commerce during historical periods of Indian sub-continent • India's maritime contacts with the middleeastern and African Countries Remains of steam engine shipwreck in Lakshadweep. 15 Infrastructure and Resources Manpower Permanent – the sanctioned strength of various categories of employees in NIO is as follows: Permanent S&T (Group IV) S&T (Group III) S&T (Group II) S&T (Group I) Administration Total Library Sanctioned strength 200 120 76 15 173 584 Temporary staff and students: Research Fellows (PhD students) ~ 80 Project Assistants (graduates/ post-graduates ~400 UG/PG Students for dissertation ~ 250 / yr /internship • Recognised as the National Information Centre for Marine Sciences (NICMAS) since mid-1990s. • While catering to the needs of the users within the institute, it is also committed to serve the marine information seekers within and outside India. • Most operations in the library are computerised • As a part of CSIR's Consortium, it makes large electronic resources available to users • Maintains one of the highest ranked institutional repositories in India Oceanographic Data Centre Research facilities • NIO has numerous state of the art analytical instruments; some of which are listed below: The Indian Oceanographic Data Centre (IODC) was established at NIO in 1964. • It was subsequently recognised as the National Oceanographic Data Centre (NODC) under the IOC/IODE data network Ÿ Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer Ÿ Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer Ÿ Liquid Chromatograph- Mass Spectrometer Ÿ Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ IT facilities Spectrometer High Performance Liquid Chromatograph Protein Purification System Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer Gas Chromatograph- IRMS ICP-Optical Emission Spectrometer ICP-Atomic Emission Spectrometer SEM-Energy Dispersive X-ray Analyser Particle Size Analyzer Palaeo-magnetism Analyser X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer X-Ray Diffractometer Electron Probe Micro Analyser Graphite Furnace-Atomic Absorption Spectrometer 16 • Centralised IT HUB hosting dedicated servers for Website, email, Internet, Intranet, ftp, HPC systems and high capacity storage accessible through the LAN, WAN and VPN links. • Development and implementation of Lotus Notes based work flow applications for Office Automation . Research ships RV Sindhu Sankalp RV Sindhu Sadhana Specifications Specifications: Length overall Speed Range Endurance Compliment : 56.3 Meters : 11.5 knots cruising speed : 20,000 nautical miles : 30 days : 35 (15 crew +16 scientists) Length overall Breadth moulded Draught scantling Design speed Gross tonnage Range Endurance Complement Onboard facilities : 80.00 m : 17.60 m : 5.00 m : 13.5 Knots : approx. 4170 GT : 10,000 Nautical Miles : 45 days : 57 (29 Scientists;28 crew) • CTD system (operational depth up to 6000 m) • Automatic Weather Station Onboard facilities: • Shallow water (33/210 KHz) and deep water (12 KHz & 20 KHz) echosounders • • Shallow water (EM 1002) and deep water (EM 302) multibeam bathymetric systems • • Sub-bottom profiler (2-12 kHz; Transducer source 10 KW) • Biological samplers (Plankton nets) & Seabed samplers (Grabs, 4-6 m corers & dredges) • Arrangement for towing magnetometer, sparker, side scan sonar operations • Arrangements for deploying and retrieval of instrumented mooring systems • • • • • • • • Laboratories - 3 (Sample processing, data acquisition and multipurpose) • • 17 Single beam echo sounders (shallow and deep water) Multi-beam echo sounder (shallow and deep water) Parametric sonar Gravimeter Magnetometer Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler CTD system Dynamic positioning system Sampling gear (seafloor, water column, biological) Analytical and computational facilities Facilities to deploy instrumented moorings, AUV & ROV Outputs and Outreach Publications Grants and external cash flow NIO publishes over150 research papers annually in reputed national and international scientific journals. The number of research papers and the total impact factor have shown an impressive increase in recent years: The research activities at NIO are funded through grants from CSIR as well as external cash flow (ECF) generated by the institute through projects undertaken for different government and private organisations. (Rs. in lakhs) Patents NIO scientists have filed a large number of patents on inventions made in the Institute: • Total inventions : 95 • Patent applications : 144 • Granted patents : 96 Outreach activities (USA: 37, India: 34; Others: 25) Conferences – NIO regularly hosts national and international conferences on various current and emerging topics related to oceanography • More than half of the patents are on biotechnology International collaborations Training programs – NIO conducts tailor-made training programs for national and international agencies. Participants include students, researchers, professionals, defence personnel and other government officials. • NIO has been collaborating with a large number of research and academic institutions all over the world (Australia, China, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Oman, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA) as well as international agencies such as ASEAN and SAARC. Student programs – Students from India and abroad can enrol in several programs of the Institute as follows: Program Eligibility Duration Procedure NIO-AcSIR NET/GATE/INSPIRE fellowship holders 5 years Admission in August. For details visit: www.acsir.res.in Jr/Sr. Research Fellowship Post Graduates Upto 5 years CSIR/UGC-NET qualified Project Assistantship Under / Post Graduates Upto 5 years Walk-in interviews notified on NIO website 3-6 months Acceptance of supervisor (through email) and official permission Dissertation / UG / PG students internship / summer training NIO also accepts short visits by student groups on prior appointment (write to [email protected]) 18 Contact information Headquarters – Goa Dr. SWA Naqvi Director CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography Dona Paula Goa 403004 Phone: +91-832-2450200 Fax : +91-832-2450602-2450609 Email:[email protected] Regional Centre – Kochi Dr. PS Parameswaram Scientist-in-Charge CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography-Regional Centre Dr. Salim Ali Road Kochi 682018 Phone: +91-484-2390814 Fax : +91-484-2390618 Email:[email protected] Regional Centre – Mumbai Dr. SN Gajbhiye Scientist-in-Charge CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography-Regional Centre Lokhandwala Road, Four Bunglows, Andheri (W) Mumbai 400053 Phone: +91-22-26359605-26359608 Fax : +91-22-26364627 Email:[email protected] Regional Centre – Visakhapatnam Dr. VSN Murty Scientist-in-Charge CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography-Regional Centre 176, Lawsons Bay Colony Visakhapatnam 530017 Phone: +91-891-2539180, 2784569, 2784570 Fax : +91-891-2543595 Email:[email protected] For further information visit www.nio.org 19