Publication abstracts


Title: Marine Sciences of the Seas around India between 1874 and 2000 and Prospects for the New Millennium
Author: Dr. D.V. Subba Rao
Date: 2002
Abstract:

From an oceanographer's perspective, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea constitute an ideal laboratory. The round of meteorological, hydrological, and biological events is governed by a) influx of large freshwater from several major rivers, b) intense northeast and southwest monsoon winds of which the latter breeds cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, unique to these waters. Additionally, these waters support various tropical biotopes such as estuaries, mangroves, brackish water lakes, coral reefs, islands, and offshore waters with a great diversity of fauna and flora. The steadily growing coastal population (~ 200 million) heavily utilizes the coastal zone for urban settlements, fishing, mariculture, marine transport, recreation, offshore oil and gas exploration, and dumping of wastes.

The pursuit of marine science during the British colonial rule (pre-1947) was limited to only a few individuals and was purely descriptive. In contrast, independent India has acquired certain capabilities in marine science comparable with other similar nations. This review is not intended to represent a comprehensive coverage of all themes of marine sciences in India but identifies one striking singularity, that is, its rapid growth in the past decade resulting in a a large institutional framework capable of mounting challenging research programs at sea. While presenting the progression of marine sciences in India, I discuss some salient features of the seas adjacent to India, the crucial problems confronting the coastal zone and marine environment in the new millennium and their social relevancy.
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