GLOBAL SYNOPTIC SURVEY AND PROTOCOL INDIAN OCEAN

By Vijayalakshmi R. Nair Consultant National Institute of Oceanography Kochi

Current surveys in Indian Ocean

and primary and secondary productivity with special emphasis on island ecosystem (Andaman sea) 13.5

Stratified zooplankton sampling (0-1000m) from 114 stations from Indian EEZ, 2003 2007, MR-LR, Project of DOD, NIO 12.5

11.5

10.5

2 ,

91.5

92.5

93.5

Stratified zooplankton samples (0-300m) from 16 oceanic and 16 coastal stations, 2003 2007, MR-LR Project of DOD, NIO.

Recent surveys in Indian Ocean

JGOFS (India) : Central and eastern Arabian Sea Stratified zooplankton collections from 93 locations (0-1000m), 1992-1997 Bay of Bengal process studies (Sequel of JGOFS) : Coastal (10 stations) and open sea (15 stations) Stratified zooplankton collections from 0-1000m, 2001-2003 • •

Under sampled area Western side of Indonesia : Significant for Indo-Pacific community Deep water collections (south of Equator) : Surfacing of meso and bathypelagic species

E5.

C6.

A12 A13.

D1.

CMarZ related cruises in Indian Ocean

National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) is planning a cruise along a transect across the Indian Ocean. Zooplankton species to be identified and preserved for DNA barcoding (CMarZ contact : Ann Bucklin) Naqvi (Cruise Leader) informed cruise will be delayed The French program OISO may provide opportunities for CMarZ sampling of zooplankton in the Indian Ocean (CMarZ contact : Colomban de Vargas) Status not known

SW Indian Ocean

African Coelocanth Ecology Programme off the east coast of South Africa, 2004-2005 ‘Madex’ cruise south of Madagascar during February 2005 Sampling during annual fisheries stock assessment, monthly environmental monitoring cruises and dedicated research training cruises during 2008 Specimens will be identified for DNA barcoding (CMarZ contact : Hans Verheye for A12, A13 & D1) • •

Comments:

Overview of the cruises for east coast of South Africa by Hans Verheye Cruise proposals for Indian Ocean, excluding off South Africa, not promising CMarZ may plan a cruise for Indian Ocean. A few experts from India can participate and identify species for DNA barcoding

• •

Zooplankton species of Indian Ocean

Calanoid copepods Chaetognaths Medusae Ostracods Euphausiids Pteropods Mysids Penaeid and Cariid larvae (Decapods) Hyperiidae (Amphipods) Fish larvae Total 476 (2 new species) 31 (2 new species) 131 (2 new species) 32 51 25 102 (34 new species including 4 new genera) 38 164 60 1110 (40 new species)

Community Structure

Zooplankton community around Andaman waters showed dominance of copepods (59 species) followed by chaetognaths (16 species) Tsunami 2004 in Bay of Bengal showed low biomass for zooplankton. Copepod community showed surfacing of mesopelagic species like Lophothrix frontalis, Haloptilus spiniceps, Pachos punctatum, Mormonilla phasma and Conaea rapax

Biogeographic provinces

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Tropical zone Maximum diversity Indo-Pacific species Subtropical zone Cosmopolitan species Surfacing of meso and bathypelagic species Transitional zone Maximum faunistic contrast, overlapping of cold & warm water species 31 species of chaetognaths occur in Indian Ocean Tropical zone : Subtropical zone : 1. North of 10°S with maximum biodiversity 2. Predominated by Indo-Pacific species 3. Unique in maintaining species in respective bathymetric level 1. Dominated by cosmopolitan species 2. Meso and bathypelagic species penetrate to upper strata Transitional zone : 1. Maximum faunistic contrast 2. Species of southern cold water and warm waters overlap

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2.

3.

1.

Contributions

Laboratory based cooperating project

IIOE data : Digitized details for 1,548 zooplankton collections from entire Indian Ocean including station details, biomass, total population, density for all taxa, 21 chaetognath species and 26 ostracod species

Training course

Taxonomic identification of copepods, chaetognaths and ostracods, NIO, Kochi (November 2005 & April 2006) Basic training for zooplankton analysis and identification of 54 taxa, NIO, Kochi (2006)

Awareness on CMarZ activities

Presented a paper Census of Marine Zooplankton (CMarZ) - a Global Biodiversity Project By Vijayalakshmi R. Nair and Ann Bucklin At Symposium on National Biodiversity and Ecosystem Information Infrastructure : Challenges and Potentials – Jan 30 to Feb 2, 2006, NCL, Pune, India

Popular Scientific Article

Science Reporter (CSIR Publication)

Vol. 43 No.5, 9-15, May 2006

CMarZ Network Taxonomic Experts from India

Saramma U. Panampunnayil (Mysids) : Participated in NW Atlantic cruise (April, 2006) Identified 8 bathypelagic species. 6 species given for DNA sequencing Lalithambika Devi, C.B. (Fish larvae) : Participated in NW Atlantic cruise (April, 2006) Identified 43 species. 15 species given for DNA sequencing Rosamma Stephen (Copepoda) : Gave training in identification during a workshop on copepods (July 2006) at AWI Worked at WHOI (July 2006) on species page Paulinose, V.T.

: Specialist for Decapod larvae

Workshop on IndOBIS (September 25-26, 2006)

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The Indian Ocean Biogeographic Information system (IndOBIS) is one of the 7 regional nodes established by OBIS Responsible for collection, collation and dissemination of data and information about biodiversity in the Indian Ocean region through its portal http://WWW.indobis.org

As member of SG, CMarZ introduced objectives, activities and achievements of CMarZ to participants