Coastal Observation Research Lab Inaugurated at AU
The NRSC is currently implementing five projects at CSBoB, including the new coastal observation initiative
Visakhapatnam: A state-of-the-art Coastal Observation Research Laboratory (CORAL), funded by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), was inaugurated on Friday at the Centre for Studies on Bay of Bengal (CSBoB) at Andhra University, strengthening ocean and climate research in the region.
The facility was inaugurated by NRSC director Dr Prakash Chauhan and Andhra University Vice-Chancellor prof. G.P. Raja Sekhar. Established under the NICES CORAL project, the laboratory has received `1.6 crore in funding from the NRSC over three years, while scientific equipment worth nearly `12 crore has been installed.
The laboratory houses advanced instruments, including High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), FTIR Spectrophotometer, Dual-Beam UV-VIS Spectrophotometer, pCO₂ Sensor, Coulometer, Sun Photometer, Ozonometer, Nutrient Auto-Analyzer, Flow Cytometer and a Water Purification System. These will enable detailed analysis of dissolved inorganic carbon, nutrients, plankton and dissolved oxygen in ocean waters.
Visakhapatnam was selected for the facility because of its strategic location along the western Bay of Bengal, where river inflows, monsoon variability, cyclone activity and rapidly changing coastal ecosystems make it a natural climate laboratory. The research is expected to improve understanding of carbon cycling, marine ecosystems and aquaculture that supports coastal livelihoods.
The NRSC is currently implementing five projects at CSBoB, including the new coastal observation initiative. As part of the project, research cruises will be conducted along selected transects in the Bay of Bengal to study ocean-atmosphere and land-sea interactions and their impact on marine ecosystems.
Vice-chancellor prof. Raja Sekhar said the laboratory would encourage interdisciplinary ocean research across the university. CSBoB director prof. B.B.V. Sailaja outlined the centre's initiatives, while AUCST principal prof. M.V.R. Raju presided over the inaugural programme attended by faculty members, students and research scholars.