The Ministry of Earth Sciences has launched a specialized training programme in deep-sea biodiversity research at its research centre in Kochi. The five-day Deep-sea Macrofauna Taxonomy School is being run jointly with the International Seabed Authority and aims to build capacity among young scientists from the Indian Ocean region.
The Programme
The training school ran from September 7 to 11, 2026 at the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE) in Kochi. It brought together roughly 30 early-career researchers and scientists from 13 countries in the Indian Ocean region, including South Africa, Kenya, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Tanzania, Thailand, Oman, and India.
The curriculum covered several areas of deep-sea study:
- Specialized lectures combined with field work and collection of seabed samples
- Laboratory training in identifying and classifying deep-sea creatures
- Technical instruction in traditional taxonomy methods, DNA barcoding, and electron microscopy
- Workshops on preserving samples and publishing biodiversity data in public databases
The programme was organized under the Sustainable Seabed Knowledge Initiative platform of the International Seabed Authority, in collaboration with the Indian Ocean Rim Association and the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea. Teachers included scientists from Brazil, South Korea, Portugal, Sweden, Mauritius, Indonesia, Germany, and Singapore, as well as Indian institutions.
What this means for you
If you are an early-career scientist or researcher interested in marine biology or environmental science, this type of training represents an opportunity to gain international recognition and work on questions affecting the Indian Ocean. For India more broadly, hosting such programmes positions the country as a leader in ocean research and helps shape international standards for studying and protecting deep-sea ecosystems. The emphasis on standardized methods means that findings from different countries can be more easily compared and shared, supporting better environmental management of ocean resources.