The impact of continuous climate change on the universe is a growing cause of concern for scientists. Recent studies indicate the adverse effects of the climate change on the marine ecosystems.
In order to discuss the changing environmental patterns, Nansen Environmental Research Centre (NERCI), a joint venture between Indian and Norwegian partners, will conduct a week-long school workshop on ‘Indo-Mareclim winter school on climate change and variability, marine ecosystems and coastal zone management’ from Saturday.
P V Joseph, former director of the Indian Meteorological Department, and scientist, NERCI, will deliver the keynote lecture on the ‘Monsoon-ocean interaction on time scale of weeks to decades’.
Former secretary to the President of India Christy L Fernandez will speak on ‘Facing challenges of livelihood and sustainability in Indian coastal areas’.
Trevor Platt, Professorial Fellow from Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK, and Executive Director, Partnership for the Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO), will speak on the topic ‘What colour is the sea’.
Other topics such as ‘Science and the policy implications of ocean acidification and iron fertilisation’ will be discussed by Phil Williamson, University of East Anglia, UK.
Arvind Singh, GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany, will speak on ‘Nitrogen fixation dynamics of Arabian Sea in relation to climate change’. ‘Strong responses of Southern Ocean phytoplankton communities to volcanic ash’ by Thomas Browning, University of Oxford, UK, will also be presented.
Other topics include ‘Marine Ecosystem Modelling: Theory and practical’, ‘ Harmful algal blooms’, ‘Community-based climate change adaptations: evolving sustainable societies’ and ‘Fisheries and coastal zone management’. Students will have to prepare a presentation in groups on the related topics. Experts would evaluate each report and comment on the good aspects as well as flaws in the analysis.