12. DEPARTMENTAL SHIPS

12.1 Fishery and Oceanographic Research Vessel (FORV) Sagar Sampada

FORV Sagar Sampada has been facilitating multidisciplinary scientific activities in the field of Fisheries and Oceanographic Research since 1984. The vessel, a national facility was made available by the Department to the various national research and development labs/institutions and academic institutions engaged in oceanographic research to carry out survey of the EEZ of India during the year under report.

The vessel which is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, conducted 11 scientific cruises in the Indian EEZ in which 233 scientists and technical personnel from 12 organisations including Centre for

Multiple Plankton Sampler used for stratified zooplankton sampling

Marine Living Resources and Ecology took part. The vessel generated valuable fishery and oceanographic data by covering 236 stations in the EEZ of India. The total track distance covered by the vessel was 22,250 nautical miles. The vessel FORV also conducted a trial cruise to calibrate the acoustic equipment and hands-on training for newly installed EK 60 sounder held test Auto Trawl System on board.

The major scientific programmes carried out covered the following areas:

· Seasonal coverage of environmental and primary and secondary productivity patterns from the East Coast, West Coast and Andaman and Nicobar waters.

· Collection of sediments from 64 stations along the shelf of the East Coast for Benthic Standing Crop estimations.

· Locations and sampling of DSL.

· Investigation of toxic algal blooms in the Indian EEZ.

· Harvest technology for selectivity studies.

· Demersal Fishery Resources survey along the continental slope in the depth range of 200-1000 m.

The ORV Sagar Kanya completed 13 cruises including two trial cruises, covering a 200-day operation during the year under report. The vessel is presently in the dry dock for the 20 yearly surveys.

A number of DOD’s programmes such as LOICZ, BOBPS, LCS and NDBP were successfully implemented using this vessel. For the LOICZ programme, two field campaigns were completed and four time series sediment traps retrieval/redeployment operations were carried out, in addition to physio-chemical studies on sinking particulate matter. The first BOBPS campaign in Bay of Bengal was carried out successfully and the desired field activities were achieved. As part of Department’s Legal Continental Shelf (LCS) programme, bathymetric and geophysical studies were undertaken on the Western Continental Slope, Laxmi Ridge & Laxmi basin areas. Under the ongoing National Data Buoy Programme (NDBP) two cruises were taken up for the Data Buoy maintenance in Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. As a part of Ocean Observing System (OOS) programme, one TOGA drifter buoy and a WOCE SVP-B drifter buoy were deployed in Arabian Sea and these are expected to transmit meteorological-oceanographical data for one year, since the deployment primarily is aimed to study surface monsoon winds and surface current patterns. The vessel passage period from east coast to west was utilized by OSTC projects for sampling.

The IRS P4 Satellite validation cruise was carried out for Ocean Colour Monitor validation, Primary productivity and to validate geophysical parameter retrieval techniques. Two cruises were carried out for Indo-German Bilateral Programme of “Time Series Sediment Trap Mooring Operations in Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal”. Four retrievals and three deployments were carried out. NIO conducted a cruise in Andaman back-arc basin and investigated the probable Hydrothermal Mineralisation sites. Swath bathymetry, geophysical and oceanographic data collection formed the major part of the cruise. A topographic expression of Alcock seamount complex between 11^o and 12^oN and 93^o45' to 95^oE and the Invisible bank was mapped at 3 Nm line spacing. One cruise was undertaken for INDIAN RIDGE programme for studying ridge-axis magnetism, plate geometry and crustal fabric at Sealark, Vityaz and Vema areas in Indian Ocean.

ORV Sagar Kanya on the drydock