CSIR laboratory National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) had the unique distinction of organizing and leading India’s “First Scientific Expedition to Antarctica”, successfully executed as a National venture. The first Indian expedition to Antarctica left Goa on December 6, 1981 on board MV Polar Circle, a chartered ship from Norway and landed on Antarctica on January 9, 1982. The team was led by Dr. S. Z. Qasim, former Director, CSIR-NIO and then the Secretary to the Department of Ocean Development, Govt. of India. Out of thirteen Scientists participating in the expedition, seven were from CSIR-NIO.

During the cruises to Antarctica, observations for bathymetry, magnetic field survey, ionospheric radio propagation and noise level studies, thermal structure, meteorology and aerosol measurements were carried out. Base camp was established and continuous observations in various disciplines were carried out on the ice shelf and on the land mass. An unmanned weather station designed and developed in the Instrumentation Division, CSIR-NIO, along with a redesigned Current Meter, was installed. A data buoy system and an electronic bathythermograph were developed. The Cassette left at the unmanned weather station-the Dakshin Gangotri in 1982, recorded meteorological data from 16 January to 13 June, 1982 that was recovered during the Second Expedition which left Goa on December 1, 1982. Following the encouraging results from the data collected, five CSIR-NIO scientific personnel participated in the IIIrd Expedition, which left Goa on December 3, 1983. The Fourth expedition in 1984 (3 Scientists); the Fifth Expedition in 1985 (3 Scientists and one was designated as Leader of the Wintering Team), and in the sixth expedition (1986) also, CSIR-NIO Scientists participated. The Institute played leading role in the Seventh Antarctic Expedition (1987) led by Dr. R. Sengupta, and the team included four more Scientists from the Institute.

During the expeditions valuable current data was obtained for the first time from Polynya, East of the Weddel Sea by mooring an array of current meters, which supplemented other oceanographic studies. The studies showed presence of marine mammals in the Antarctic waters concentrated between 60° & 70°S with a varying density in the range of 16-246 animals per 100 sq. km. Abundance was related to the richness of prey organisms i.e. krill. Annual variability in krill biomass was related to production in the microbial food webs and a relationship between water masses and nutrient anomalies in the Southern Ocean was observed. New two species of blue green algae, 2 species of dinoflagellates and 24 species of diatoms were recorded during the Antarctic winter.

The hydrographic regime from Dronning Maud Land coast to 300°S showed the presence of three distinct water masses. Intense vertical mixing was inferred in the upper 300m of the sub Antarctic region. Surface water of the southernmost Indian Ocean showed dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons and fluoride concentration in the Antarctic waters was observed comparatively lower than that in other sea/ocean waters. The decreasing trend in the sea surface temperature observed during January 1988 in the shore polynya off Dakshin Gangotri was mainly attributed to the processes of heat advection.

Further, observations on primary productivity, bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton, krill, benthos, primordial biota, sea birds and marine mammals from 20 oceanographic stations and 40 oasis and lake ecosystem stations were carried out. Rate of production was observed to depend on the type of habitat (ice, soil or water), source (freshwater or marine) and depth. Avifaunal diversity was highest in convergence zone, with large populations but fewer species between 60° and 70°S. North of the polar front, few birds and mammals were recorded. As many as twelve different enzymes from 700 Antarctic bacterial strains were examined to assess their role in biotransformation of organic matter. Studies on distribution of chlorophyll a, phaeopigments, zooplankton and physicochemical parameters in the Southern Indian Ocean were carried out during XIth Expedition (1992). The salinity values varied from 34.06 to 36.14‰. Temperature fluctuations of the seawater (~0.5 to 29.5°C) seemed to influence the distribution and abundance of plankton. In addition, the extraterrestrial or cosmic dust particles (sizes in 10 µm to few mm) collected from selective regions in Antarctica are scientifically stimulating as they are pristine samples from cometary and asteroidal bodies. These samples have been collected from Maitri Station by sieving ~50 tons of blue ice and are locked in ice and are preserved in its original form for detailed laboratory study to give an insight into wider solar system materials.

The first expedition led by CSIR-NIO brought out a huge scientific and novel information on biological, geological, biogeochemical and ecological environmental attributes of Antarctica which formed the base datasets for the researches afterward. The leadership research studies not only supported to get newer information on Antarctica paleo history and climate but also provide scientific links to many oceanographic and geological events and processes.

Legend: (a) First Antarctic expedition team lead by Dr S.Z.Qasim, Former Director, CSIR-NIO; b) A view of Dakshin Gangotri; c) Base Camp at Dakshin Gangotri

Dr. V. J. Loveson, 
CSIR-NIO, Goa