Fishery and Oceanographic Research Vessel(FORV) Sagar Sampada has been carrying out oceanographic and fisheries survey in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone, ever since 1984. The data and information generated by this vessel are supplemented by the research vessels owned and operated by other organisations such as Fishery Survey of India, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, etc. This vessel caters to the needs of user agencies including the fisheries and oceanographic research institutes for undertaking studies on assessment of the marine living resources and their relationship with the oceanographic parameters in the EEZ of our country.

During the year, 13 cruises were carried out by FORV Sagar Sampada with the participation of 29 organisations. Major accomplishments are:

Physical and Chemical oceanographic data for quantifying North-South Transport of biogenic element, were collected.

Inter-annual variability of hydrographic conditions during the North East monsoon in the Eastern Arabian Sea and redox chemistry of nitrogen system with the Oxygen poor water of the Arabian sea, investigated.

The effect of chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds, was assessed under marine pollution studies.

Calibration of onboard scientific equipment was undertaken.

20 research scholars from 11 Indian Universities of 9 States were imparted training on zooplankton methodology through cruises of FORV Sagar Sampada

Water circulation and paleoclimate/ paleooceanography in Arabian Sea, were studied.

LAN system on board the vessel was installed.

Crustacean fishery resources were assessed.

Fish biomass was studied by conducting acoustic survey in the east and west coasts.

Efficiency of gears and assessment of resources and post-harvest technology were studied.

Isotopic analysis in a micro-extraction system, invented by a participant Dr. Yoshinari of State University Albany, USA, was used for the first time during Cruise No. 136.

Arabian Sea is found to be a region with extremely delicately poised biogeochemical balance that makes it very sensitive to human interference.

33m Bobbin trawl found suitable for demersal trawling in continental slope with wavy bottom.

Maintenance of all scientific equipment onboard was carried out as per the satisfaction of the User Agencies. Acoustic, analytical and meteorological equipment were calibrated for better performance and accuracy. Sagar Sampada Cell continued to dispose off the fish stored onboard FORV Sagar Sampada incidental to the various research programmes through the Integrated Fisheries Project (IFP), Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India. During the year, a total catch of about 1,746 Kg. of different varieties of fish landed was handed over to IFP for product development.

Special Cruise

The vessel participated in a 75 day successful Krill Assessment Cruise during December 1995 to March 1996, for studying the potential of krill in the Indian Ocean Area of Antarctic Waters. The vessel covered 33 sampling stations making 16 trial hauls in the southern ocean for a period of 22 days and conducted a number of experiments, collected data on distribution and abundance of krill and other living resources. Some of the significant scientific objectives achieved include: (i) Physio-chemical and biological processes in relation to krill swarming; (ii) Phyto-Zooplankton and its relation to krill distribution; (iii) Identification of krill aggregation and its characteristics by acoustic and visual means and assessment of harvesting potential of krill; (iv) Assessment of distribution and abundance of krill, cephalopods and Antarctic fish, etc. Studies on commercial feasibility of exploitation of krill and other Antarctic living resources, aspects of post-harvest technology of processing krill meat and the associated bio-chemical and post-mortem changes, storage, product development including preparation of ready to cook products and ready to serve products out of krill and Antarctic fish meat, development of fish protein concentrate and derivation of chitin and chitosan from krill shell wastes in the shore laboratory, were also undertaken.