India’s 1st National Repository for Deep-Sea Fauna:
The Center for Marine Living Resources & Ecology (CMLRE), Kochi, has reached a significant milestone in marine conservation with its “Bhavasagara” Referral Centre being officially designated as a National Repository for Deep-Sea Fauna.The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) conferred this status under Section 39 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.It serves as a critical national facility for the preservation, study, and documentation of India’s deep-sea biological heritage, supporting the nation’s Blue Economy goals.The center houses over 3,500 taxonomically identified and geo-referenced voucher specimens, ranging from marine invertebrates (cnidarians, molluscs, arthropods) to vertebrates.
