MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF INDIA Key Issues and
Operational Areas, Major Activiities & Achivements
Operational Districts: Nicobars, North & Middle Andaman, South Andaman
Operational States: ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS
AchieveMents: The Marine Biological Association of India was established in the year1958 to serve the cause of promotion of research on marine sciences in the Asia-Pacific region. The association carries out this objective by organising lectures, symposia and seminars on specific subjects, offering requisite information to research workers and students, undertaking research in marine biological sciences publishing the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India (JMBAI), publishing occasional Memoirs, Monographs and Bibliographies on topics of current interest in marine biology, instituting fellowships and studentships to research workers at various recognized institutions, sponsoring and aiding expeditions in Indian Seas, and institution of prizes in recognition of outstanding contributions towards advancement of marine biological sciences. During the past 50 years, the Association has conducted a number of international symposia focusing attention on specific areas of topical interest in marine biology. These were on Scombroid fishes (1962); Crustacea (1965); Mollusca (1968); Corals and Corel Reefs (1969); Indian Ocean and Adjacent Seas (1971); Coastal Aquaculture (1980); Endangered Marin Animals and Marine Parks (1985); Tropical Marine Living Resources (1988): and Eco-friendly Mariculture Technologies (2000), Mecos-1 (2009), CIMCAR(2011) and Mecos-2 (2014).
The papers presented in the symposia have been published as proceedings which have been well received in different parts of the world. The monographs, memoirs and bibliographies published by the MBAI are widely used by the scientific community.
The official organ of the Association, the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India is being published from 1959. The Journal publishes original contributions dealing with the following fields of investigations. Phytoplankton, marine algae, zooplankton, nekton, benthos, corals and coral reefs; ecology, zoogeography and systematics; primary production and experimental work on ecosystem including energy flow at different trophic levels; population dynamics and theoretical models; recycling of matter, influence of environmental factors on metabolic activity; marine microbiology; mariculture and experimental work on propagation of cultivable species; biology of fishes, marine reptiles, sea birds and mammals; physical, chemical, geological and meteorological features of the environments related to marine biology, marine environmental damage caused by pollution and engineering works; underwater observations; conservation of living resources, modifications in methodology and techniques and development of new apparatus related to marine sciences. Apart from this, Marine Biological Association of India (MBAI) recognized the importance of science communication and offered workshops on Communicating Science Effectively in association with the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME) Project. These workshops were designed exclusively for fishery researchers from India seeking to improve their delivery of scientific and technical information/advice, and to be better equipped with the skills needed to communicate their work clearly and confidently to a wide range of audiences.
