New facilities inaugurated at Annamalai University’s marine biology centre

[dwarakesh]

CUDDALORE: The Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology of Annamalai University at Parangipettai has got new facilities such as the satellite-based oceanographic and fisheries information electronic display board, sophisticated analytical equipment and an auditorium.

Shailesh Nayak, Secretary, Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, New Delhi, inaugurated these facilities on Wednesday in the presence of M.Ramanathan, Vice-Chancellor of Annamalai University, M.Rathinasabapathi, Registrar, and T.Balasubramanian, Director of the Centre.

Dr. Ramanathan said the Union Ministry had provided the satellite-linked electronic display board of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) to the Parangipettai institution.

The board would provide information on potential fishing zone and oceanographic data, besides emitting warning signals at the time of cyclone and tsunami. It had got online broadcast of voice messages, playback of recorded messages, and a siren system that would be audible up to one km radius. The Vice-Chancellor further said that the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, had provided three sophisticated instruments worth Rs 1 crore to the centre. These included the GC-MASS spectrometer widely used for quantification of pollutants in drinking and wastewater, drugs and their metabolites in blood and urine for both pharmacological and forensic applications, identification of unknown organic compounds in hazardous waste dumps and pesticides as well as for analysis of industrial products for quality control.

The other instrument called "CHNSO elemental analyzer" would help in rapid determination of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and sulphur in a wide variety of marine samples.

Yet another instrument "liquid scintillation counter" could be used for the determination of radioactive isotopes of common elements that were extremely useful in life science disciplines, Dr. Ramanathan added.

The Secretary also inaugurated auditorium, which has a capacity to seat 200 persons, on the centre's premises.