The Karwar Regional Station of CMFRI focuses on several key research areas aimed at the sustainable development of aquaculture and the monitoring of marine resources along the north Karnataka and Goa coast. The research thrust includes the development of sustainable technologies for cage culture of high-value food fishes, broodstock development, breeding, and nursery rearing of important food fishes. Additionally, the station provides consultancy services to the states of Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka for open sea cage farming, actively involving local fishermen in the process. The station also works on developing and standardizing health and environmental protocols to support open-sea cage farming initiatives. Over the past five years, the station has achieved significant milestones, including the development of low-cost steel cages for open sea culture of finfish, state-of-the-art nursery rearing technology for Asian seabass and cobia, and innovative methods for the culture of these species in open sea cages. It also contributed to advancements in mooring systems for cage culture and transportation techniques for fish seeds and juveniles over long distances. Furthermore, the station has made notable contributions to understanding disease dynamics in cultured species, reporting the first instances of infections such as Photobactirium damselae subsp damselae in cobia, Vibrio alginolyticus in Asian sea bass, and Vibrio harveyi in red snappers through systematic molecular, biochemical, and histopathological characterization.
- Thrust Areas of Research
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Major Achievements
- For the first time in India, breeding and seed production techniques for black seabream, Acanthopagrus berda, have been standardized under confined hatchery conditions (ICAR - approved technology)
- Globally for the first time, breeding and seed production techniques have been standardized for the newly described Sparidae species, Fanged seabream, Sparidentex jamalensis
- [For the first time, breeding and seed production techniques for the vermiculated spine foot, Siganus vermiculatus, have been standardized across all quarters of the lunar cycle (ICAR - approved technology)
- Application of compensatory growth in marine finfishes for enhancing production.
- Popularization of marine and coastal cage farming in Karnataka and Goa, popularization of IMTA (Mussel - Fish Integration)
- Isolated, identified and standardized the mass scale production of the marine copepod, Apocyclops cmfri as a live feed for marine finfish larval rearing
- Pathogen profiling of wild fishes, nursery-reared, and cage-farmed fish and occurrence and prevalence studies of parasites in marine cage culture systems and from wild fishes. Identified parasites such as Pennella balaenopterae (large ectoparasites of copepod), Microcotyle (platyhelminth parasites), Argulus quadristriatus, A. ocellatum.
- Supply of hatchery produced seeds of picnic seabream and vermiculated spinefoot to the farmers of Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra.
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Technology or Concepts Developed
- Developed low cost steel cages of various sizes for open sea culture of finfish
- State of the art nursery rearing technology for Asian seabass and cobia
- Technology for culture of cobia and Asian seabass in open sea cages
- State of the art ‘all weather mooring system’ for open sea cage culture of finfish
- Transportation of fish seeds/ juveniles for long distances
- Infection of cobia with Photobactirium damselae subsp damselae, Asian sea bass with Vibrio alginolyticus and red snappers with Vibrio harveyi was reported for the first time by systematic molecular, biochemical and histopathological characterization
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Ongoing Research Projects
Institute projects:
Sl No. Project Code Title of Project Project Investigator 1.
MBT/HM/23
Health management in selected finfish and shellfish
Dr.Sanil NK
2.
MDN/SMP/19
Development of sustainable mariculture practices through technological innovations in cage and coastal farming
Dr.Imelda Joseph
3.
MBT/NGM/24
Nutrition and nutrigenomics research for mariculture and marine fisheries
Shri.D Linga Prabu
4.
Socio-Economic Impact Evaluation of Mariculture Technology Interventions
Dr. Saju George
5
Science for sustainability: developing an integrated assessment framework to support management decisions for marine fisheries in Karnataka & Goa
Dr. Sujitha Thomas
6
Decoding the interplay of fisheries-dependent and fisheries-independent factors on elasmobranchs of India to improve conservation, sustainability, livelihood security and management
Dr. Shoba Joe Kizhakudan
7
Development of integrated scientific management approaches for biological and livelihood sustainability of the fishery of tuna and tuna -like fishes along the Indian Coast
Dr. E.M. Abdussamad
8
MDN/HCY/18
Development of hatchery technologies for commercially important species in mariculture
9
MD/SEED/24
Development and standardization of seed production technologies for selected high value finfishes and shellfish-
Externally Funded Projects:
Sl.No. Title of Project Project Investigator 1
National Surveillance Programme on Aquatic Animal Diseases (NSPAAD) Phase-II
Dr. Sanil NK
2
Network Programme on Assessment of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Microorganisms Associated with Fisheries and Aquaculture in India
Dr. Krupesha Sharma SR
3
All India Network Project on Mariculture
Dr. Boby Ignatius
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Scientific Staff
No Name Designation 1 Dr. C. Kalidas Principal Scientist & SIC, Karwar 2 Dr. Purushottama G. B. Senior Scientist 3 Dr. Mahesh V. Scientist 4 Shri. Tanveer Hussain Scientist 5 Dr. Kurva Raghu Ramudu Scientist