National Institute of Oceanography Goa, India ANNUAL REPORT 1996-97 CONTENTS
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
ANNUAL REPORT 1996-97 National Institute of Oceanography Goa, India ANNUAL REPORT 1996-97 CONTENTS (5) Director's Report (6) Highlights (7) Contract Services (10) Coastal Environment (15) Engineering, Techniques & Technology (19) Offshore Processes & Resources (30) Bilateral Programmes (34) Data, Information & Scientific Services Appendices (36) Scientific Cruises (39) Workshops/Seminars/Meetings (42) Awards & Honours (44) Council Members & Staff on Committees (47) Deputations (50) Visitors (53) Human Resources & Finances (55) Patents & Publications (60) Staff List Director's Report The year 1996-97 was the last it will I am sure be obvious for year of the VIII Plan. In the past, all others soon. Our IX Plan the start of plan periods used exercise and the ensuing projects to be times when usually (though reflect this focus. not always) old projects were retitled, milestones, SWOT The emergence of the coastal analysis and other project zone as critical to our future monitoring tools were human settlement patterns and incorporated, and proposals for industrialisation, was a boon to large grants were forcefully our industrial rupee earnings. It presented. We took a different also highlighted the larger roles tack this year - by having "open our national laboratory has to week" for IX Plan projects and play in providing advisories to The valiant, almost missionary zeal, succeeding in forging some multi- concerned ministries, modelling with which a two member group disciplinary projects. This and satellite imageries in is working to get the institute to exercise, and other associated predictive and monitoring adopt quality methods, has the "restructuring" was no whim. The situations, and the importance hallmark of the beginning of a recently enunciated Vision 2001 of proactive research in devising cultural change. Their success is by Dr. Mashelkar with its various mitigation techniques to the critical to our survival in the milestones, could only be inevitable onslaught of competitive days ahead, and I am realised by a fresh look at industrialisation. Our IX Plan sure that we will begin to roll before ourselves and the way we did projects incorporate these new they run out of enthusiasm. research. It was to a degree roles for us as a national institute. unsettling as well. In this A sobering thought was our Director's report I will avoid Our first dollar earnings from response to Dr. Mashelkar's New restating the "highlights" of the the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Ideas Fund encouraging new, year, but will dwell instead on for environmental services innovative even crazy ideas. Our interpreting important events emphasised the wider economic response could have been better which are factually reported in forces at play and the fine job especially since we have a funding fine print in the pages inside. the institute did in this project crunch and need external funding. was an encouraging indicator An analysis of our publications that marketing such services We have expressed some bold showed that while the absolute further afield may prove important initiatives for the Year numbers were going down, the profitable. of the Ocean -1998. It is important quality of the average paper was to succeed in this venture, because The "welcome mat" policy in getting increasingly better. In of the multiple benefits that we hosting international meetings, order to capitalise on this will reap - nationally, regionally workshops, seminars and improving trend, the importance and internationally. symposia gave us exposure to of process studies involving the many facets of oceanography The year gone by has been multiple disciplines was an in other parts of the globe, was internally stressful as it has obvious next step. The new titles a reassuring indicator not only challenged many concepts of and objectives consequent to of the ease with which projects, leaders, hierarchy and "Project Open Week" are written oceanographers are able to empowerment of the working level up and we now need only to communicate and forge scientist. I am sure however that follow the spirit of the exercise. international programmes, but we will approach the IX Plan with I am sure we will. also that our own were held at that resilience for which our Understanding processes, the some level of esteem in the scientists are noted, by asking "So focus of oceanography today, community. We need now to what's new?" is equally important in practise more vigorously all the management - either in project multi-disciplinary approaches that team building or in routine we know are being woven into administration. The idea has oceanographic programmes germinated in a few key areas - abroad. Ehrlich Desa Highlights • Studies on the mechanisms of N O Coastal Environment • Abnormal variations in a CTD profile in 2 the Andaman Sea were observed production in the upwelling zones • Continuous observations over 15 during Cruise SK118. The temperature precludes nitrification as the major months in the nearshore waters off fell by 4°C while salinity decreased by process responsible for N2O production. Mumbai showed the peak zooplankton 35 psu possibly due to tidal solition. • High concentration of N O and partial production after the monsoons and high 2 pressure of CO (upto 62.5 nM and 700 phytoplankton production during the • Based on the study of a 170 cm long 2 μatm respectively) were off SW Indian monsoon. Omnivores dominated the shallow water sediment core (from 22 coast during summer monsoon. These zooplankton community showing a m), the paleomonsoonal history of the are the highest recorded for any partial influence by high fluxes of last 2500 years has been recon- oceanic surface waters. This reinforces anthropogenic pollutants from the structed. Increased precipitation is the view that the coastal eastern interior of the creek system. found to be around 1705 AD and 300 BC and dry climatic conditions around boundary upwelling serve as significant • Underwater explorations off Poompuhar 1565, 1355,1075 & 305 AD. source of greenhouse gases, particu- revealed heavily eroded irregular stone larly N2O. blocks at depths of 5-15 m. Airlift • High-resolution shallow seismic • Under JGOFS, we observed higher operations indicated presence of more reflection data from the continental concentrations of Transparent such blocks in deeper sediments. shelf sediments off western India from Exopolymer Particles (TEPs) in areas 10°-22°N revealed anomalous seismic of upwelling in the Arabian Sea than in signatures of acoustic maskings of the Bay of Bengal. Despite the Engineering & Technology methane rich horizons. Potential negative relation between TEPs and subsurface methane estimates in this • Directional wave measurements made nitrate deficit, an average TEP concen- gas charged area are of the order -1 in 15 m water depth off Nagapattinam tration of ~ 10 mg I in the Arabian Sea of 2.6 Tg. during the monsoon and fair weather oxygen minimum zone indicates that seasons indicated that the spreading • Evidences of recent volcano- TEPs provide more than enough parameter could be estimated from the hydrothermal activity were recorded in organic carbon to sustain bacterial significant wave height and period the Central Indian Basin (CIB) previ- activities in the denitrifying layer. corresponding to maximum spectral ously considered to be inactive. • Close grid bathymetric surveys and energy without relating to wind analysis of nodules carried out under conditions. • The ferromanganese crust dredged from the summit of the Afanasiy-Nikitin Indian Deepsea Experiment (INDEX) to • Knowhow to prepare liquid biofertilizer seamount in the North Central Indian augment data on likely input due to from seaweeds was transferred to M/s Ocean provided evidence that the area mining in the Central Indian Basin led to Pralsher Bio-Products Ltd., Curchorem, was exposed to the subaerial the identification of test and references Goa. Application of this fertilizer conditions during the Oligocene areas. increases the yield of horticultural and (~30 Ma) global sealevel drop. agricultural plants besides enhancing overall growth and disease resistance. • Continued studies on neotectonic activity over southern part of ECMI with high resolution sparker data along two Offshore Processes E-W tending lineaments off Madras and • Analysis of XBT data from the tropical Nagapattanam provided evidence of Indian Ocean revealed the presence of recent tectonic activity. a narrow equatorial flow between 2°N • Opposing trends were observed in the and 2°S with changing direction at isotopic composition of 15N and 18O of semi-annual cycle. N2O in upwelled waters with modest • Analysis of 21 years data on SST departures from the tropospheric anomalies in the region 0-5°N and 80- values, these indicate that the ocean- 85°E (acquired from UK Meteorological atmosphere exchange cannot counter Office) showed that the Indian monsoon inputs of heavier isotopes associated shows a positive relationship with the with the stratospheric back flux, calling SST anomalies of October and Novem- for additional sources and/or sinks of ber of the previous year N2O in the atmosphere. 6 Contract Services The favourable industrial and investment Two projects, of possible future importance 2. The Gas Authority of India interest in the climate in the country catalysed the start of to the Institute were started this year: gas hydrates potential in offshore waters many green field industries in the chemical, fitted us admirably as it utilised our core 1. The India Oil Corporation proposed joint petroleum and power sectors. The Institute competancies in geophysical research in a venture port with the Kuwait Oil Corpora- provided services in the form of consultan- proactive mode. With increasing pressures tion at Paradip in Orissa brought us our cies for pre-feasibility studies and in the to remain commercially competitive, this first foreign exchange earnings. This could form of contracted data collection and project was a showcase of collaboration become an important trend considering the analyses for full marine environmental between a research lab and industry. large number of joint ventures power impact assessment reports.