News
New species of copepod discovered in Indian Ocean
A team of researchers has discovered a new copepod species, a planktonic crustacean, from the coast of Great Nicobar, which is part of the Andaman-Nicobar archipelago in the Bay of Bengal, said a news report published by The Hindu yesterday.The report filed from Kerala said: The copepod has been named ‘Tortanus dhritiae’ in honour of Dr. Dhriti Banerjee, the first woman director of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
The team led by Sanu V. Francis, assistant professor, department of zoology, Mary Matha Arts and Science College, Mananthavady, and Jasmine Purushothaman, head of protozoology section, ZSI, discovered the new species. Prof. Bijoy Nandan, Dean, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), was also a member of the team.
“Among marine zooplankton, copepods are the most dominant group in marine subtropical and tropical waters and exhibit great diversity in their morphology and habitats. They form a crucial link between primary producers and higher trophic levels in the food web. Any change in copepod populations may disrupt the pelagic food web of the entire marine ecosystem. Therefore, the study of copepods is of great importance,” said Dr. Sanu.
Tortanus dhritiae, which belongs to the genus Tortanus and subgenus Atortus, is mainly found on coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. Among these, only seven species have been found in the Indian Ocean so far, he added.
“Tortanus copepods are distributed mainly in the coral reef ecosystems, so they can only be found and collected using advanced methods such as scuba diving. In addition, identifying these microscopic organisms requires expertise, but only a few experts are available in the country. That may be a reason why very few species are found in the Indian Ocean” Dr. Jasmine said.
Studies on copepods in the Indian Ocean have not been conducted extensively. As part of expeditions in the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Lakshadweep communities, Dr. Sanu and Prof. Nandan have discovered around 70 copepods and their DNA barcodes.
“Climate change and habitat disruptions are challenging for the survival of the coral reef ecosystem. Hence, studies regarding the marine taxa should be indispensable” Dr. Jasmine said.The discovery has been published in the recent edition of the international taxonomy journal Nauplius.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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