Goa University: Department of Marine Sciences

Head of the Department

Vishnu Murty Matta

Professor of Marine Sciences

Year of Establishment : 1985

Preamble:

The Department of Marine Sciences, Goa University, was established in the year 1985 and has grown rapidly to become a multidisciplinary Department focusing on post graduate teaching and research in different branches of Marine Sciences, namely Physical Oceanography, Marine Chemistry, Marine Biology and Marine Geology. Marine Sciences Post Graduate programme admits students from a wide background of bachelor degree, such as Mathematics, Physics, Electronics, Computer Science, IT, Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Zoology, Botany, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Biosciences, Fisheries, Aquatic Science, Earth Sciences, Geology. Since 2010, the programme offers Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) giving freedom to the students to choose his/her optional courses. CBCS is a cafeteria approach envisaged by University Grants Commission (UGC) to provide students and teachers horizontal and vertical mobility and to design his / her own programme of study with courses of his / her choice. CBCS provides students to enjoy academic mobility and transfer of credits across Departments/Institutions. Onboard ship training for a period of 15 to 20 days is a compulsory component of the course. This is in addition to the regular filed surveys.

Programmes offered by the Department:
• M. Sc. degree in Marine Sciences (Intake capacity 20 per batch)
• M. Phil. in Marine Sciences (Intake capacity 5 per batch)
• Ph. D. in Marine Sciences

In the year 2003 Ministry of Science and Technology, New Delhi has identified Department for support in level -1 category under the funds for Improvement of Science and Technology infrastructure in Universities and higher educational institutions (FIST). In the year 2008 University Grants Commission supported the Department with four fellowships to carry out research leading to Ph.D. degree under the scheme "UGC Research Fellowships in Sciences for Meritorious students" and with Infrastructure grants under "Grants for strengthening Infrastructure at PG levels". The Department has successfully completed many research projects funded by various National funding agencies such as Ministry of Earth Sciences (MOEs), University Grants Commission (UGC), Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF), Ministry of Shipping, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Space Application Centre (ISRO), Space Physical Laboratory (ISRO), Naval Research Board (NRB), and National Institute of Oceanography (NIO - CSIR). Department also completed consultancy projects funded by Private agencies. There are presently 6 full time academicians, 7 technical and office staff, 25 research personal (Post-Doctoral, Doctoral and Project Fellows) in addition to Post-Graduate students in the Department. Departmental research activities have lead to the following thrust areas.

Thrust Areas:

Optical remote sensing of aquatic ecosystem, radiative transfer modeling in optically complex coastal and estuarine waters, Hyperspectral remote sensing, Atmospheric correction of optical remote sensor, retrieval of AOD from an optical sensor, Estimation of aerosol radiative forcing, Algorithm development for the retrieval of case II water constituents from optical remote sensing; Air Sea interaction and genesis of water masses.

Nutrients and Trace elemental distribution in estuaries; Behavior of aluminum in estuaries; biogeochemical cycling or environmental sensitive elements in the near shore region, chemistry of sea weed along the coast and geochemistry.

Biodiversity and Taxonomy of demersal fish and invertebrate fauna; catch trends, species composition and bycatch from trawl hauls; spatial and temporal distribution of demersal fauna.

Coastal and estuarine sediment characterization, Coastal morphology and dynamics, Coastal zone management, Lacustrine and estuarine - tidal / mudflat sedimentary environment, Geochemistry of lacustrine & estuarine sediments, Speciation of elements in mudflat sediments and bioavailability of metals, Magnetic susceptibility, diatoms and isotopes in mudflat and mangrove sediments, Suspended matter and its chemistry of Southern Ocean, Diatoms in sediment cores in Southern Ocean.

Collaboration with National Institutes:
• National Institute of Oceanography, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
• National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa.
• Space Applications Centre : Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• Indian National Centre of Ocean Information Service (INCOIS), Ministry of Earth Sciences(MOEs).
• Space Physics Laboratory, Vikram Sarabahai Space Centre (VSSC), ISRO.
• Naval Physical Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
• National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai.
• Birbal Sahani Institute of Paleobotany, Lucknow.
• Anna University, Chennai.