ANNUAL REPORT 25 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OCEANOGRAPHY (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research) Dona Paula-403 004 Goa, India. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY Director National Institute of Oceanography COMPILED AND EDITED BY Publication and Reprography Section EDITORIAL PERSONNEL Shri V Kesava Das Smt R Thomas Shri S P Sharma Smt C Rebeiro PRINTED BY Casa Pack Master, Diogo de Couto Road Panjim Goa CONTENTS 1 1 Director's, Report 3 2 5 Highlights 20 3 List of Projects 34 4 R & D Activities 35 41 Physical Oceanography 35 42 Chemical Oceanography 44 43 Geological Oceanography 54 44 Biological Oceanography 61 45 Marine Corrosion & Materials Research 72 46 Integrated Studies of Estuaries 79 47 Ocean Engineering 83 48 Marine Instrumentation 87 49 Surveys for Polymetallic Nodules 89 410 Antarctic Oceanography 91 411 Marine Archaeology 93 412 Data and Information 94 4 13 Publications and Public Relations 98 414 Training 100 4 15 Planning 104 5 International/Bilateral Programmes 105 & Contract Research Projects 111 7 Oceanographic Cruises 117 8 Infrastructure 122 9 Visitors 127 10 Awards and Honours 130 11 Deputations 132 12 Workshops/Seminars/Symposia held 137 13 Publications 139 14 Papers presented in Conferences, Seminars, etc 151 15 Budget 15, 16 Composition of various Committees of NIO 158 17 Appointments/Transfers/Resignations 161 18 Scientific, Technical and Administrative Staff 163 ORGANISATIONAL CHART COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC & INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OCEANOGRAPHY RESEARCH MANAGEMENT COUNCIL COUNCIL DIRECTOR HEAP QUARTERS REGIONAL DONA PAULA GOA CENTRES RESEARCH & SHIP PLANNING LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION DEVELOPMENT CELL GROUP PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY DIVISION R. C. BOMBAY CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY DIVISION R. C. COCHIN BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY DIVISION R. C. WALTAIR GEOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY DIVISION ESTABLISHMENT SECTION OCEAN ENGINEERING DIVISION ACCOUNTS SECTION MARINE INSTRUMENTATION AND COMPUTER DIVISION WORKS SECTION MARINE CORROSION AND MATERIALS RESEARCH DIVISION DISPENSARY TRAINING DIVISION DATA & INFORMATION DIVISION PUBLICATION & REPROGRAPHY SECTION 1989 90 N. I. O. 1989-90 NIO ANNUAL REPORT 2 1989-90 N. I. O. DIRECTOR'S REPORT The year 1989-90 has been another year of successful completion of most of the programmes as planned. The seventh plan has come to an end in the year 1989-90. During the course of the seventh plan period, CSIR has resolved that CSIR laboratories should make efforts to earn more from outside agencies to meet the R & D expenditure. The extent of external funding has also been considered as a measure of the credibility of the laboratory. In this respect, it is worthwhile to mention that NIO has earned an amount of Rs. 22. 92 crores from outside agencies against the CSIR grant of Rs. 24. 636 crores during the seventh plan period. This year too, the oceanographic studies in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) was the thrust area in the R & D programmes. Hence, most of the shiptime was utilised for the work in the EEZ. This year, efforts were mainly concentrated to cover the EEZ along the east coast of India. Apart from the thrust area programme, the Institute has continued with the two national programmes, one on the Survey for Polymetallic Nodules (PMN) and the other on Antarctic Oceanography Under the PMN project, surveys were carried out in the Central Indian Ocean. The focus, during the year, was on high resolution exploration in the Pioneer Area to generate data on abundance, grade and bathymetry which would form the basis for the first stage of relinquishing 20% of the pioneer area to the International Seabed Authority Four cruises on board the chartered vessel Nand Rachit were undertaken for this purpose. Apart from this, collection of baseline data for the environmental studies was initiated and a cruise on board ORV Sagar Kanya was undertaken for this purpose A significant addition to the exploration capability was the installation of the hydrosweep equipment, a state-of-the-art multibeam swath mapping system on board Sagar Kanya. This equipment will ensure the collection of real-time bathymetry data from the Pioneer Area. Participation in Antarctic research programme was continued Two scientists from the Institute participated in the 9th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica and one scientist worked at Antarctica during the winter. Three bilateral programmes progressed satisfactorily. Under the Indo-FRG programme on "Quaternary upwelling and climate in the Arabian Sea", the particle flux studies were extended to the Bay of Bengal where deep sea sediment trap moorings were deployed. This region is of particular importance because of the large river-borne sediment discharge from the Ganges. In addition, both the monsoons play an important role in the oceanic processes which contribute the particles. During the year, two cruises were undertaken for this study on board ORV Sagar Kanya and DSV Nand Rachit, for the deployment and retrieval of the moorings. An Indo-FRG Working Group meeting was held in Bremen in March 1990 to discuss the progress and future direction of the ongoing programme. Under the Indo-USSR collaborative programme, NIO scientists participated in 4 cruises on board ORV Sagar Kanya and Soviet research vessels in the Indian Ocean as part of the Trans-Indian Ocean Geotraverses studies. The data collected were analysed and detailed upper crust structural maps have been prepared. Under this programme 3 Soviet Scientists visited the Institute during the year Under the project on "Air-sea interaction in relation to monsoon dynamics", data collected during 1988 were analysed and modelling studies were carried out. 3 1989-90 NIO 5 N. I. O. 1989-90 The Indo-US project on "Bioactive substances from the Indian Ocean* also progressed satisfactorily. During the year, more emphasis was laid on the collection of marine organisms from the intertidal and subtidal regions along the southeast and southwest coasts and Lakshadweep islands. Identification and chemical ecology of the organisms collected have been carried out along with isolation and characterisation of a few compounds The Indo-US project on "Accelerated corrosion of metals and alloys in the marine environment" initially sanctioned for three years from 1986 to 1989 has been extended for two more years. Under this project; the effect of crude oil on the rate of corrosion of mild steel was evaluated. The Institute has underaken a major programme known as the Caribbean Oceanographic Resources Exploration (CORE) project to assist the Caribbean countries at the initiative of the Common- wealth Science Council in collaboration with the Caribbean Commonwealth and Govt. of India. The objectives of the programme are(1) to enhance the capability of Caribbean countries in investigating, understanding and utilising their living and non-living resources; (2) to train Caribbean Scientists in areas of oceanography; arid (3) to carry out the oceanographic resources survey in the Caribbean Sea". Under this project, 22 Caribbean scientists were given training at NIO for a period of 3 months from October to December, 1989. This year, the Institute has undertaken 18 new contract research projects for various agencies like ONGC, NPC, Calcutta Port Trust, several Central Govt. Departments, etc. The total contract value of these projects is Rs. 506. 54 lakhs. The cash flow during the year from external sources was Rs. 823. 617 lakhs against CSIR grant of Rs. 523 lakhs. The research vessels Gaveshani and Sagar Kanya have successfully completed 7 and 4 cruises repectively in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal during the year. Since R. V. Gaveshani was decommis- sioned in October, 1989, a vessel Nand Rachit was chartered for continuing the ongoing programmes. 128 research papers were published during the year. The Institute's regular publications like Mahasagar, Newsletter, Collected Reprints, etc. were Drought out. The journal Mahasagar was discontinued as NIO's publication. This year again, two of my younger colleagues Dr. Rajiv Nigam and Dr. V. Purnachandra Rao received the CSIR Young Scientist award and the UNESCO/ROSTSCA award respectively. Eight scientists of the Institute have acquired Ph. D. awards The Research Council (RC) had two sittings during the year. Apart from evaluating the ongoing programmes, the RC also finalised the 8th plan programmes during the meetings. By the end of the year 1990, the Institute will be completing 25 years and therefore, year 1990 is being observed as the Silver Jubilee Year. I am thankful to the members of the Research Council and Management Council for their contributions in successfully running the programmes of the Institute. I also thank all my colleagues whose endeavour resulted in the contents of this report. B. N. DESAI NIO. 1989-90 6 1989-90 NIO N. I. O. 1989-90 N. I. O 1989-90 N. I. O. 1989 90 10 NIO 1989-90 11 NIO 1989-90 12 1989-90 N IO 13 NIO 1989-90 14 1989-90 NIO 15 N. I. O. 1989-90 16 1989-90 NIO 17 NIO 1989-90 18 1989 90 NIO 19 N I O 1989-90 2. HIGHLIGHTS I. NATIONAL PROGRAMMES (a) Polymetallic Nodules from the Central Indian Ocean During the year, 629 freefall grab and 103 photograb operations were carried out at 140 stations in the Central Indian Ocean for collecting nodule samples Maximum abundance of nodules was found to be 27 kg/sq m. The chemical analyses indicate that average moisture content of these nodules is 20% (range 16- 25%) The Mn content in these nodules varies between 15 and 34%, and Fe content between 2 and 16%. From the analyses it is observed that 39% of nodule samples are marginal and/or paramarginal in grade (i. e combinedNi, Cu and Co values above 2%) while the rest are submarginal (Cu+Ni+Co<2%). The higher concentration of Mn, Cu and Ni in nodules is found to be associated with siliceous sedimentary environment while reverse is true in red clay sediments Radiochemical and geochemical studies indicate thatdiscoidal nodules which are less vulnerable to rotation on the sealloor.