8.1 Research vessels

The two sea-going research vessels ORV Sagar Kanya and Sagar Sampada now in their ninth year of service are being constantly used for scientific exploration of deep sea-bed nodules and the resources and environment of the EEZ of India as well as friendly countries. Owing to the pressures on the limited research vessels to meet the competing demands made by diverse national interests, a special exercise was undertaken to examine the possibility of expanding our research and data base by utilising available space and equipment of all sea going vessels operated under the supervision of Central Government Departments, agencies and institutions. Furthermore, steps were taken to exercise high selectivity in designing our cruise programmes restricted to addressing only the most urgent questions and information needs. In particular, steps have been taken to further equip the research vessel Sagar Sampada so far used only for fisheries research, in order to enhance its utilisability for multi disciplinary research.

8.2 National Ocean Information System

With a view to developing knowledge base of the complex marine system to guide the course of exploration, exploitation and management of oceanic resources and protection of its environment, steps have been taken to design and structure a National Ocean Information System (NOIS). The NOIS is being conceived as the national archive of a comprehensive set of marine data characterising the state and parameters of various oceanic and coastal domains as a basic resource for planning and management of the wide variety of maritime and coastal zone activities. This national system has been so designed as to be highly cost effective by utilising the existing capabilities and in some case infrastructural facilities of a number of specialised institutions and agencies and integrating them into a synergistic network. Eleven Marine Data Centres (MDC) each backed up by specialised expertise for structuring and quality appraisal of the respective data set (to be later linked by satellite) form a truly interactive system. These centres will evolve workable strategies towards making their data sets progressively more complete by using ocean going vessels of the Government.

These Marine Data Centres are also responsible for developing appropriate formats, mechanisms and structures for acquisition, processing, quality appraisal and archival of their respective data sets as well as effective mechanisms for easy retrieval, and synergistic development of entire NOIS. Three working groups; the first one on Physical and Chemical Oceanography, the second one on Biological Resources, and the third one on Geological Parameters established for this purpose have been engaged in this task.

The NOIS is coordinated by the Department through a National Steering Committee.