International Symposium on the Indian Ocean to celebrate
The Golden Jubilee of National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa
&

50th Anniversary of Completion of International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE)
during 30 November - 4 December, 2015 at Goa, India.



IIOE (1959-65), sponsored by SCOR and IOC, was the first true multinational large scale experiment in the world ocean, in which 20 countries with over 40 ships and hundreds of researchers participated. This expedition generated a wealth of information that was documented in several atlases, books, conference proceedings, special reports besides numerous research papers. It unravelled many special characteristics of the Indian Ocean and laid a foundation for more focused research that was carried out in subsequent decades. In addition to scientific advancement, IIOE also contributed immensely to the development of human resources in ocean sciences in countries bordering the Indian Ocean.

India was a very active participant in IIOE and was given, among other things, the responsibility of sorting, identification and maintenance of zooplankton collections. For this purpose, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) established the Indian Ocean Biological Centre (IOBC, 1962-66) at Cochin in cooperation with UNESCO. One of the most important outcomes of IIOE was the transformation of the IOBC into the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) as a CSIR National Laboratory, on the 1st of January 1966. This Institute has since contributed greatly to understanding of oceanographic processes of the North Indian Ocean.

In order to celebrate the linked events of 50 years of completion of IIOE and the Golden Jubilee of NIO, an International Symposium will be organized from 30th November to 4th December 2015. The Symposium, co-sponsored by NIO, SCOR, and IOC, will provide a forum for marine and related scientists all over the world to present results of their latest research in the Indian Ocean, review the progress made in understanding the unique characteristics of the region and plan future research to address outstanding issues. The Symposium will consist of keynote addresses along with invited and contributed talks on all aspects of Indian Ocean oceanography and related climate science. A complete description of sessions and schedule will be made available on the symposium website.