Coinciding with the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology under the Ministry of Earth Sciences organised an expedition of the 35-year-old Fishery Oceanographic Research Vessel (FORV), Sagar Sampada, from Porbandar in Gujarat to Kerala’s Puthuvype to create awareness on how plastic is choking the oceans.
The ship had various stops en route and was berthed at the Mattancherry wharf on Wednesday when it hosted over 300 students and other visitors. The programme, held in association with the Swadeshi Science Movement, had scientists explain to the students various research capabilities of the vessel, which was commissioned in 1984.
The ageing ship has completed nearly 400 oceanographic expeditions and would be decommissioned as soon as a replacement is available. Earlier this year, scientists on board the ship had a close shave when there was a fire outbreak on board when the ship was off the Karnataka coast. But the fire was put out by the Coast Guard.
