The second edition of the Oceanographers and Hydrographers Conference under the umbrella of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) commenced at the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai on 29^th January 2024. The conference was held at Chennai and Hyderabad from 29 – 31 January 2024. The inaugural session was hosted by National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) and National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) at Chennai.

The conference is being attended by Heads of Oceanography and Hydrography Institutions of member and observer nations of CSC. During the conference, the participants reviewed the cooperation activities in the fields of Oceanography and Hydrography undertaken so far and chalk out a concrete plan of action for strengthening collaborative partners. The participants discussed on the theme of 'Our Ocean is Our Future' which emerged during the previous edition of Oceanographers and Hydrographers Conference held in November 2022 at CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) and National Institute of Hydrography (NIH) at Goa and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad.

The CSC nations have made considerable progress since the First conference which includes maiden Joint Expeditions in the Indian Ocean Region, maiden Antarctic expedition which is underway and the ongoing dedicated training programmes for CSC nations at CSIR-NIO.

The second edition of the Oceanographers and Hydrographers conference was flagged by Dr. G. A. Ramadass, Director NIOT. Delegates from Bangladesh, Mauritius, Seychelles and Sri Lanka participated in the conference. Dr. G.A. Ramadass, Director NIOT showcased the on-going projects in the field of Energy & Desalination, Coastal Engineering, Deep Sea Technologies, Marine Bio Technology, Ocean Observation and Ocean Acoustics. Dr. M.V. Ramana Murthy, Director NCCR showcased various projects carried out in the field of Coastal Vulnerability, Coastal Management, Marine Pollution, Microplastics etc.

The representatives from CSC countries presented their experiences and challenges in Oceanography and Hydrography. They explored opportunities for joint collaboration in areas of Desalination, Sustainable Coastal Management, Ocean Observations and Capacity building.

On the second day of the conference, the delegation visited High Frequency (HF) radar site at Kalpakkam. The final leg of the conference will be concluded at Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Hyderabad.

  

 

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