The South African oceanographic research vessel, SA Agulhas, has begun its voyage for the 11th expedition of an Indian mission to the Southern Ocean or Antarctic Ocean from Port Louis, Mauritius. At present, the research vessel is situated at Prydz Bay, in the coastal waters of “Bharati”, India’s third station in Antarctica. The research vessel SA Agulhas is named after the warm Agulhas ocean current that streams south along the east coast of southern Africa.
India’s Involvement with Antarctic Missions
India officially joined the Antarctic Treaty System on August 1, 1983. Later, on September 12, 1983, India became the fifteenth Consultative Member of the Antarctic Treaty. Presently, India is expanding its infrastructure development in Antarctica. The latest base, Bharati, was commissioned in 2015. India is also in the process of rebuilding its station, Maitri, to extend its life for at least 30 more years. Dakshin Gangotri, the first Indian base established in 1984, has weakened and is now functioning as a supply base only.
Key Points and Objectives of the Mission
The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCOPR) stated that the mission aims to measure changes in the remote oceanic area and their impact on large-scale weather phenomena, like the Indian monsoon. The mission also seeks to understand the effects of the Southern Ocean on ecosystem and atmospheric changes and their implications on tropical climate and weather conditions.
The expedition includes six core projects. These involve studying hydrodynamics and biogeochemistry of the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean at various depths; observation of movement of trace gases from the ocean to the atmosphere for improvements in global models; research on organisms like coccolithophores and their concentration in sediments to understand past climatic conditions; investigation of atmospheric aerosols and their impact on Earth’s climate; analysis of the Southern Ocean’s effect on Indian monsoons; and studying the dynamics of the food web in the Southern Ocean for the implementation of sustainable fishing practices.
Significance of the Expedition
The expedition is expected to provide valuable data related to the cyclic movement of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from tropical regions to the Antarctic and back. It will also help to understand how the Southern Ocean, which connects all the major oceans around the world, functions as a conveyor belt that circulates heat worldwide potentially affected by anthropogenic forces.
About National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research
The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) was established in 1998 as an autonomous research and development institution of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. It is situated in Goa. The NCPOR is responsible for facilitating India’s research activities in the Polar and Southern Ocean realms. Its primary responsibilities include management and upkeep of the Indian Antarctic Research Bases “Maitri” and “Bharati” along with the Indian Arctic base “Himadri”. Moreover, the NCPOR manages the Ministry’s research vessel ORV Sagar Kanya as well as other research vessels chartered by the Ministry.