The Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) is a university established by government of Kerala devoted to studies in fisheries and ocean sciences. The bill seeking to establish the university was passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly on 30 December 2010. KUFOS has its headquarters in the premises of the College of Fisheries, Panangad, near Madavana junction along the Kochi Bypass. The College of Fisheries, established in 1979, was a constituent college of the Kerala Agricultural University. KUFOS is the first university in India exclusively dedicated to studies in fisheries and allied disciplines. The university was inaugurated and dedicated to the nation in a function held at the campus of the College of Fisheries, Panangad, on 20 February 2011.Dr. B. Madhusoodhana Kurup, a member of Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority and Director of the School of Industrial Fisheries, Cochin University of Science and Technology, is the inaugural Vice-Chancellor of the university. Dr Mohanakumaran nair, Dean and head of Department of aquaculture, college of fisheries, Panangad is the first Pro Vice-chancellor of the university. Dr Tresa Radhakrishnan Head of the Department, Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, is the first Registrar of the university.The Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies is an autonomous publicly funded institution established on 20 November 2010, and governed by the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies Act, 2010 passed by the Kerala Law ( Legislation 1 ) Department vide Notification No. 19540 / Leg.1 / 2010/Law dated 28 January 2011. This is the first Fisheries University in India coming under the Fisheries Ministry with its headquarters at Panangad, Kochi, along the Kochi Bypass section of the NH-66. Ernakulam South Railway Station is the nearest Railway Station, 12 km away from the campus. Total land area is 69 acres.The College of Fisheries, Panangad, Kochi, and the Fisheries Research Station, Puthuvype, were disaffiliated from Kerala Agricultural University to form KUFOS which started functioning on 1 April 2011. It is the primary instrument of Kerala state in providing human resources, skills and technology required for the sustainable development of fisheries and the ocean. It acts as a centre of excellence for human resource development in Fisheries and Ocean Studies and the nodal agency to establish relationship with institutions and universities functioning at national and international level.The Governor of Kerala, Shri. Justice P Sathasivam, is the Chancellor and the Hon.Minister for Fisheries Sri K. Babu is the Pro-Chancellor of the university. The supreme authority of the university is the Senate and the chief executive body is the Governing Council. The Vice- Chancellor is the principal executive who is assisted by the Pro-Vice chancellor, Registrar, Finance Officer, Deans of Faculties, Controller of examination, Director of Research, Director of Extension, Directors of Schools and Heads of Departments.
The present study examined how background colours influence the body colouration of Cuapetes purushothamani, a newly discovered palaemonid shrimp from Lakshadweep, India. Shrimps were placed in tanks with black, blue, green, and white backgrounds (10 per colour, two replicates of 5 each) without substrate. Photographs were taken at the start and after 50 days to analyse colour changes using RGB values (Red, Green, Blue) from the cheliped, eye stalk, first abdominal somite, and telson via ImageJ software. Initially, RGB values varied due to different collection environments. After the experiment, black backgrounds significantly affected both sexes (p < 0.05), while blue influenced males but not females first abdominal somite. Telson colour differed between sexes in the green background (p < 0.05), while all parts except the female telson differed in the white background (p < 0.05). Shrimps darkened in black and blue tanks for camouflage, while white and green backgrounds led to the abdomen and telson brightening. These findings highlight C. purushothamani's ability to adjust colouration for survival, offering insights into its behavioural ecology, camouflage strategies, and applications in biodiversity conservation and aquaculture.
This study examines the spatio-temporal variation in the stable isotopic composition of oxygen (δ¹⁸O) and hydrogen (δD) in groundwater from alluvial and lateritic aquifers in Northern Kerala, India, in relation to seasonal rainfall patterns and hydrogeological settings. The isotopic composition of rainwater in the study area exhibits higher variability during the monsoon seasons, attributed to the influence of cyclonic activity and isotopic fractionation during precipitation events. Groundwater in both alluvial and lateritic aquifers of the study area exhibits distinct seasonal variations in δ¹⁸O and δD values between pre-monsoon and post-monsoon periods, reflecting a shift from evaporation-influenced conditions during the pre-monsoon to dominant meteoric recharge in the post-monsoon season. Negative isotopic separation (Δδ) values and regression characteristics indicate that Southwest Monsoon (SWM) rainfall is the primary source of groundwater recharge, with post-monsoon depletion reflecting seasonal mixing rather than dominant North East Monsoon (NEM) influence. Deuterium excess in groundwater serves as an effective proxy for recharge dynamics, and its relationship with Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) highlights the influence of infiltration rates, evaporation intensity, and aquifer permeability on groundwater recharge processes. A mass balance approach estimates that rainwater contributes 35.7
The identity and taxonomic status of the South Asian killifishes Aplocheilus blockii andA. parvus has often been debated, with the latter name considered a junior synonym of the former. To understand whether topotypic A. blockii and A. parvus, and populations across a wider distribution range in peninsular India and Sri Lanka, signal genetic structuring, and to help resolve the ambiguous taxonomy of these nominal species, we studied their population genetics and phylogeography based on the partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene marker. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Aplocheilus blockii and A. parvus form two distinct, reciprocally monophyletic sister clades, the former of which is restricted to India while the latter is shared between southern Peninsular India and Sri Lanka. The maximum uncorrected intra-specific cox1 genetic distance was 1.5%forA. blockii and 0.7%forA. parvus, while minimum inter-specific genetic distance between the two species was 2.4%, suggesting that a narrow genetic gap, between 1.5 to 2.4%, separates the species. Despite the low genetic divergence between these sister taxa, they are readily distinguished morphologically by the pattern of iridescent scales on the side of the body. While A. blockii has continuous rows of iridescent scales on the lateral surface, giving an impression of horizontal iridescent lines, iridescence on the lateral surface of A. parvus is restricted to alternate scales, giving an impression of vertical iridescent lines. The median-joining genetic network revealed 37 haplotypes inA. blockii and 32 haplotypes in A. parvus. No haplotypes of A. parvus are shared between southern India and Sri Lanka. Analysis of molecular variance confirmed that there is significant population genetic structuring between the two species and their populations. We discuss genetic diversity and structuring in A. blockii and A. parvus in the context of the physiography of the southern Indian peninsula and Sri Lanka, as well as the historical biogeography of the region, and review implications for the taxonomy of south Asian killifishes.
Coastal regions across the globe are increasingly threatened by erosion and inundation as rising sea levels and shifting wave climates intensify these hazards. Within this global context, the state of Kerala on the southwestern coast of India stands out as particularly vulnerable due to its high population density and extensive coastal exposure. The present study analyses the wave climate variability over the recent 15-year period (2007–2021) across 19 coastal sites in Kerala that are recognized as hotspots for erosion and inundation. Using the WAVEWATCH III model output, annual and monthly trends in the mean and near-extreme (90th percentile) significant wave height (SWH), swell wave height (SHTS) and wind sea wave height (SHWW) were analysed. The model data is validated with available buoy data at six locations (both east and west coast) along the Indian coastline. Results reveal a coherent intensification of wave conditions, with most locations exhibiting statistically significant positive trends. Musodi beach in Kasargod, the northernmost site, exhibited the highest trend in annual mean SWH, with an increase of 0.863 cm/year. Monthly trend analysis revealed a significant positive trend in the SWH, SHTS and SHWW during May and August months especially in the northern locations. Spatial trend analysis of SWH, SHTS, and SHWW highlighted a significant upward trend in the Southern Ocean during May and August, establishing the strong teleconnection. The combined rise in SWH, SHTS, and SHWW underscores an ongoing intensification of nearshore wave energy, with important implications for shoreline change, sediment dynamics, and hazard risk. These findings underscore the need for advanced coastal management strategies, integrating long-term wave climate monitoring and mitigation measures to reduce coastal hazards along the coast of Kerala.
This study investigated the sustainable extraction of nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HAP) from Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) bone side streams via thermal calcination at 900 degrees C for 9 h. The physicochemical and biocompatibility characteristics of the resulting n-HAP were systematically evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), and zeta potential measurements. XRD revealed high crystallinity of 76.4% (tuna) and 74.4% (tilapia). TEM confirmed nano-scale structures of 44.9 nm (tuna) and 153.3 nm (tilapia). The Ca/P ratios were 1.72 for tuna and tilapia, and the zeta potential results (-41.1 mV for tuna and -38.3 mV for tilapia) indicated good colloidal stability. FTIR spectra confirmed characteristic phosphate and hydroxyl groups. Both tuna- and tilapia-derived n-HAP exhibited reduced cell viability at 24 h (75.5-80.2%) relative to the control, followed by partial recovery at 72 h (77.5-81.1%). Unlike earlier studies on single fish species, this work presents a comparative evaluation of two different fish bone sources, revealing promising potential for their application in medical scaffolds due to their acceptable preliminary cytocompatibility, stability, and eco-friendly sourcing.
