CSP - Indian Marine Mammal Research Symposium: fostering cross-region collaboration and providing training on ceatacean survey techniques
Abstract
Most marine mammals are apex predators and therefore the best indicators of the health ofmarine ecosystems. The northern Indian Ocean has a rich and unique diversity of marinemammals due to characteristic oceanographic processes. Several short studies and anecdo"tesclearly show that marine mammals in this vast region are subject to serious threats from largescale bycatch, pollution, propell""er hits, hunting and stranding. There is clearly a need tosystematically monitor the populations, their distribution and threats, a""s is being done in mostother parts of the world. Despite having some of the best marine research institutes, Indiadoes not have th""e human capacity, logistics or institutional support for marine mammalmonitoring and research in its oceans. The major goal of the"" proposed week long symposiumis to provide a major impetus to marine mammal monitoring and research in India, bybringing together"" the small group of Indian marine mammal researchers, institutions in Indiawhich can provide platforms and other support for marine" mammal research and a fewinstitutions in USA who are world leaders in marine mammal research. We hope this wouldraise the profile of marine mammals in the government and non-government stakeholders andprovide a platform for collaborative studies that would fur"ther marine mammal research andconservation in India.The weeklong symposium is divided into parts. In the first part, to be held o""ver two days atthe National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, we would review marine mammalresearch in India and identi""fy major challenges in this field (e.g. access to tools andplatforms, training avenues, funding, legal and regulatory landscape). W"e would then explorecollaborations among participants and others which can address these challenges. The Indianparticipants would" include bureaucrats, scientists from marine research organizations andindependent marine mammal researchers. Marine mammal researc""hers from Woods HoleOceanographic Institute, NOAA, Washington University and Wildlife Conservation Societywould be resource person""s from outside India.The second part of the symposium, to be held over five days at the Centre for Marine LivingResources and Ecol""ogy in the City of Kochi in the west coast, would be a training workshopon population survey of marine mammals for young researcher"s. The participants wouldexamine the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as a model framework formonitoring marine mammal popul"ations. After a classroom introduction to the theory andpractice of line-transect survey, we would conduct a 3-day at-sea survey in"" the southeastArabian Sea, including training in species identification, best practices in marine mammalsurvey and data analysis.""A major outcome of this symposium would be the formation of an Indian Marine MammalResearch Working Group, which will develop a str"ategy and action plan to implement therecommendations that emerge from the symposium. A second outcome would be astandardized design for monitoring marine mammal populations by government and otherresearchers. The symposium would also foster long-term collabora"tion on marine mammalpopulation and risk assessment, stranding response and bycatch reduction in commercial andartisanal fisheries" in India.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Nov 03, 2017
- Source ID
- N629091712181
Entities
People
- Uma Ramakrishnan
Organizations
- National Centre for Biological Sciences
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy