KOCHI: The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) would utilize the satellite data for a spatial mapping of marine fisheries and mangroves in the country, said CMFRI director A Gopalakrishnan. "Spatial mapping would help to locate the fishing areas, navigational channels and protected areas distinctively in the open sea waters," he said.
"As part of the marine fisheries management, the CMFRI has already launched a research project to analyze the productivity of the sea waters utilizing the data. The study is aimed at correlating the data on the presence of chlorophyll in the water bodies collected physically with the data generated from the satellites. Also, CMFRI has inked a pact with the national remote sensing centre (NRSC), Hyderabad, of the Indian space research organization (ISRO), to conduct a collaborative study to assess the blue carbon emissions and its sequestration," he said during an interaction with participants of the Winter School organized by the CMFRI to train young researchers in using satellite remote sensing data.
The data would also be used be for locating suitable sites for cage fish farming in sea waters. "Selection of ideal sites is important for expanding the cage farming ventures systematically by ensuring a better yield, and at the same time site selection is also crucial for not to disrupting the environmental equilibrium of coastal ecosystem," he said.
"The second international symposium on societal applications in fisheries and aquaculture using remote sensing imagery (SAFARI) to be held by CMFRI in Kochi from January 15 to 17 will evaluate the progress of the development of these research initiatives in detail," he said.
Organized with an aim to strengthen research network for the utilization of satellite technology for the favour of India's marine fisheries sector, the Winter School, which began on December 1, was attended by 22 participants from various research institutes, agricultural universities and colleges from across the country.