Oceanography is a Multidisciplinary Science
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Virupaxa K Banakar, scientist-G and head - HRD-SAC, National Institute of Oceanography, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, talks about oceanography's importance.
At what stage is this multidisciplinary field in India? What are the challenges before oceanographers in the country?
Yes, oceanography is a highly multidisciplinary science that forms a component of the earth system science. It deals with complex interactions between the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere, hence requires good knowledge of geology, physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics. It is fast emerging as a mainstream science due to increasing awareness and concerns about the global climate and our immediate environment, and about living and non-living natural undersea wealth.
The main challenges before the community are:
- Developing a precise, predictive model for the Indian monsoon system. This involves atmospheric science, physics, maths etc in addition to oceanography, because, monsoon rains are the product of coupled ocean-atmosphere-land dynamics, each operating on different time scales.
- Generating required scientific information, developing models and techniques for preserving India's vast coastal environment and coast itself.
- Precise quantification of underwater living and non-living resources to assist our country's planners so they can develop strategies for resource management for the 21st century.
- Creating complete oceanographers, capable of tackling scientific issues related to changes in the functioning of the earth system as a whole, too, is a challenge. That requires developing courses on tightly knit multidisciplinary oceanography or, say, earth system science and introducing it at the secondary school level. Most of the present oceanographers originally studied basic sciences.
Can you elaborate a bit on what's the relevance of an oceanographer's work to society?
The objectives of modern oceanographers are to explore that wealth and understand the processes responsible for creating it underwater. This in itself is a direct contribution to society.
Coming to NIO's achievements, recall the UN's Seabed Authority's licence given to India in 1987 for developing a mine-site in international waters for polymetallic nodule deposits. In addition, several national and international patents registered by our researchers on drugs from sea, useful metabolites and enzymes from marine life etc are important. NIO's research work on marine corrosion has resulted in generating valuable information that could help develop corrosion-resistant material for marine structures and ships. In addition, NIO has contributed significantly to understanding ocean circulation.
We also provide scientific services to several industries, which come in contact with oceans for their growth. Our EIA (environmental impact assessment) studies undertaken for industrial clients are admired. Thus, we, at NIO, contribute directly and indirectly to the growth of the nation.
What are the pros and cons of being an oceanographer?
I have enjoyed a lot working as an oceanographer for the past 25 years, even though I had to be away from my family for about a month during ship expeditions. The opportunity to experience crystal clear, blue water extending vertically 5 km below - sometimes like a still lake and sometimes, furious and roaring - and the challenge of inferring the what and why from the data collected at sea has always been fascinating.
Author: Rahat Bano (HT Horizons)
You may also like to read: Oceanography: Discovering the Sea of Wealth and Career As An Oceanographer
Date: 13th January, 2011
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