OCEANOGRAPHICAL AND FISHERIES RESEARCH IN INDIA 301 



one of the richest fishing grounds in India. A new line of work to cor- 

 relate fishery conditions with oceanography has been developed in the 

 study of mud banks of the Malabar Coast where it has been established 

 that the fine silt which settles soon after the southwest monsoon in the 

 form of a submerged bank acts as a reservoir of nutrient salts, probably 

 influencing the fisheries of that area. On the physical side, work has 

 been started by the Indian Navy in the Port of Cochin. There is need 

 for more detailed coastal surveys and accurate charts and maps for the 

 entire Indian coast, and for this purpose the surveys which are being 

 repeatedly carried out by the survey ships will, it is hoped, contribute 

 a large amount of data. 



Future Prospects 



Oceanography is an infant science in India as compared with the 

 status of the subject in the more advanced countries where work has 

 been in progress for some years. Absence of adequate training facilities 

 for physical oceanography at Universities and non-availability of suit- 

 able research vessels for oceanic work constitute the major obstacles to 

 progress, but there is every reason to think that these will be overcome. 

 The Andhra University on the East Coast of India has already formed 

 a Department of Geophysics, and has initiated some work on physical 

 and biological oceanography at Visakhapatnam. A few Indian Re- 

 search Scholars are being trained abroad on the subject. Research 

 Vessels for oceanographic and fisheries work are likely to become avail- 

 able under the Five-Year National Plan of the Government of India 

 and substantial additions to equipment available for marine work are 

 now being made at several centres of Research. These developments 

 in a country situated in one of the least explored of oceans will be 

 watched with interest by all students of Marine Science. 



References 



Ekman, S. 1953. Zoogeography of the Sea. Sidgwick & Jackson, London. 

 GULATEE, B. L. 1952. Tidal work in India. Assoc. Oceanogr. Phys. Proc. 



Verb. No. 5, 178. 

 John Murray Expedition. Various Scientific reports. 

 KoNiNKLiJK Nederlands Meteorologisch Instituut No. 135. 1950. Indian 



Ocean Oceanographic and Meteorological Data. 

 Panikkar, N. K. 1953. Fisheries Research in India — Pt. I. J. Bombay NaU 



Hist. Soc, 50. 

 SCHOTT, G. 1935. Geographic und Oceanographie des Indischen und Stillen 



Ozeans. Hamburg. 

 Seshappa, G. 1953. Phosphate content of mud banks along the Malabar 



Coast. Nature, London, 171, 526-27. 



