National Institute Of Oceanography( NIO ) - Mobile laboratory gets added to NIO's infrastructure

Mobile laboratory gets added to NIO's infrastructure

National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) houses its laboratories in buildings at head quarters in Goa and at regional

centres besides the 'floating laboratories' in the form of two research vessels (third in making). As a part of efficient practice of data collection on the coastline, a mobile laboratory was a need. First such laboratory has been commissioned today, 3 January 2012, by the Director General of Shipping, Dr. S.B. Agnihotri along with Dr. S.R. Shetye, Director, NIO especially for the Ballast Water Management Program of India (BAMPI). This support has been built from the Directorate General of Shipping (Ministry of Shipping, Govt of India) Rs. 15 crore project funding to routinely collect data at least for the next 5 years at the major ports of India for decision making where the ballast water is released by the cargo vessels along with microorganisms that have likelihood of threatening our rich biodiversity.

The mobile laboratory contains wet and dry laboratories wherein seawater and sediment samples can be analyzed for chemical and microbiological parameters as soon as they are collected. This has been designed by the scientist of NIO: Dr. SS Sawant assisted by Shri K. Venkat. Dr. A.C. Anil, the project leader said that this fulfilled the dream of one of the founding scientist of NIO - Late Dr. A.B. Wagh, who introduced the biofouling studies at NIO and needed such a laboratory for data collection along the coastline.

Copyright NIO, Dona Paula-Goa, 403 004, India. EPABX:+91(0)832-2450450; Fax:+91(0)832-2450602, -2450603; e-mail:ocean@nio.org

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