The ocean plays a key role in the functioning of earth system, provides food and medicine, and a major means for trade, transportation and communication. Realizing the importance of ocean in our everyday lives, the University of Chittagong has started marine science education and research by establishing the department of Marine Biology in 1971. To accommodate additional academic scope, later in 2006, the department renamed as the Institute of Marine Sciences and Fisheries (IMSF). The IMSF is currently offering BSc (Hon's) degrees in three subjects including Fisheries, Marine Science and Oceanography, and MSc degrees in six subjects including Fisheries, Oceanography, Aquaculture, Environmental Pollution and Management, Microbiology and Post-harvest Technology, and Fish and Shrimp Nutrition. It also offers research degrees (MPhil and PhD) and provides expert services in marine affairs to the government of Bangladesh, UN agencies, development partners, entrepreneurs, NGOs, and more. To date, over 750 theses and dissertations have been comleted at IMSF spanning a broad range of disciplines such as ecology, planktology, fisheries, aquaculture, oceanography, pollution, microbiology, climate science, geoinformatics, coastal zone and resource management, and biodiversity conservation of the northern Bay of Bengal and adjacent coastal/riverine ecosystems. This constitutes major portion of oceanographic, marine biological, fisheries and mariculture research findings in Bangladesh.

IMSF is aware of the Second International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE-2), on collaborative research from coastal environments to the deep sea over the period 2015-2020, that aim to reveal new information on the Indian Ocean. Certainly, availability and accessibility of oceanographic data from the Indian Ocean can truly enhance our understanding to predict climate change impacts, pollution status, marine biogeochemical cycles, fisheries habitat, and sustainable management of resources (e.g. fisheries, petroleum, eco-tourism, and green energy), and ecosystem functions to strengthen economic and scientific competiveness of the Indian Ocean rim countries. Therefore, we see IIOE-2's intent to involve scientists and research institutions in accordance with the overarching six scientific themes of the program with high hopes and delight. The potential collaborative works to achieve common science goals of IIOE-2 and Bangladesh would include:

• developing facility and enhancing national capacity on oceanographic research and application
• enhance capability of the young and early career scientists
• development of ocean observation and forecasting infrastructure
• ocean data management, archival, analysis and modeling capacities
• impact study of extreme events and monsoon variability on ecosystems and socio-economics
• monitoring change in ocean environments: warming, sea-level rise, deoxygenation, acidification, erosion/accretion, vegetation cover
• physical and biological processes, biogeochemistry and ecology of the Bay of Bengal
• oil, gas and mineral resources exploration and exploitation
• factors that influence the dispersal of marine organisms
• food security and sustainable marine fisheries management
• safe navigation and fishing operation by fishermen
• sustainable blue growth activities
• renewable ocean energy
• climate change mitigation and adaptation planning
• outreach, participatory dissemination, awareness campaign, etc.

In this connection, initiatives taken by the IIOE-2 and its core sponsors (IOGOOS, SCOR and UNESCO IOC) to assist academic and research institutions in oceanographic research is a meaningful one and highly encouraging. No doubt that the future of our oceans depends on knowledge. Therefore, IMSF, being the only-of-its-kind academic institution of Bangladesh, is very much keen to engage in IIOE-2 programs to work together in the ocean science, climatology, geology, as well as sustainability of ocean resources management for societal benefits. Indeed, an active involvement in the IIOE-2's program will assist Bangladesh to address the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty and hunger, and tackle climate change problems.

Recent publication: Hossain, M.S., Chowdhury, S.R., Sharifuzzaman, S.M. and Sarker, S. (2015). Vulnerability of the Bay of Bengal to Ocean Acidification. IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Bangladesh Country Office, Dhaka, Bangladesh, pp. vi+55. (ISBN: 978-984-34-0335-3)   View PDF

Further information
Institute of Marine Sciences and Fisheries
University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh
Professor Dr. M. Shahadat Hossain
+88-01711-720950, Fax: +88-031-2606145
hossainms@yahoo.com
www.imsfcu.ac.bd