The FORV. Sagar Sampada, a multi-purpose fisheries and oceanographic research vessel has been carrying out survey of the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone ever since 1984. The vessel has an overall length of 71.50m and can accommodate 59 persons of crew and scientists. The vessel has well equipped laboratories for physical, chemical and biological studies and a carbon 14 Laboratory for measurements of the primary production in the sea. Other facilities on-board are wet and dry fish laboratory, acoustic detector room, electronic data processing room and an aquaria room.

- During this year the vessel undertook 12 cruises (upto Jan., 1997) in the Arabian sea and spent 152 days at sea for scientific investigations. This included 5 dedicated cruises for assessment of Cephalopod and mesopelagic resources, 2 cruises for biochemical studies, 2 cruises for physical oceanography and paleoclimatology and one cruise each for pollution monitoring, bottom topography studies and fishing technology & fish processing.

- Assessment of cephalopod and mesopelogic resources was undertaken in the month of April, July, August, October and November 96 between Lat 7.22o N and long. 76o to 66oE, in the Arabian sea. Data on oceanographic parameters such as salinity, dissolved nutrients, Sea Surface Temperature (SST), dissolved oxygen, plankton distribution etc. were also collected. The shoals / schools observed in the survey area were mainly tuna, dolphins etc, besides juveniles and young ones of a variety of other fishes. Bloom of Rhizosolenia was noticed over wide area around Lat 14o 30' N and 70o 30' E where mortality of juvenile fish was also observed.

- The two cruises on biogeochemical process within the Arabian sea suboxic zone showed that the Nitrogen / Argon gas ratio in the suboxic water column is approximately 2% higher than the background values, which directly reflects nitrogen production through denitrification.

- Pollution studies were conducted at 10 coastal stations between Honavar to Karwar, 8 stations off Karwar and 11 stations in the international waters. Data collected are being analysed to assess the impact of land and ocean based activities likely to contaminate the marine environment in future.

- The cruise on fishing and fish processing technologies were conducted using the recently acquired Integrated Trawl Instruments on-board in the North- Eastern Arabian sea. Mackerel at the catch rate of 5 to 15 kg per hour trawling from continental slope was registered as one of the significant observations of these studies.

- A meeting on Polar Oceanography was organised at Mumbai on 4th December, 1996 in which various resource papers prepared by scientists who participated in the first Antarctic krill expedition were presented.