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Marine life on CD

the National Institute of Oceanography's ( nio ) Bioinformatics Centre has put together extensive information on the marine life of India. The facts and figures wrapped up in enticing pictures and graphics are available in three compact discs ( cd ) bought out by the Centre. It's first two cd s are on prawns and crabs, and the third one on the mangroves forests of India. According to the director of nio Ehrlich de Sa, "The seas bordering India are rich in diverse biota. Unfortunately, the information available on ecologically and economically important species is minimal and scattered.

De Sa also points out that information flow on the biodiversity of oceans is vital as some marine species of plants and animals may perish due to increasing human activities, pollution and climate change. The centre has been collecting and disseminating marine biological information of Indian seas. Over the past seven years it has been developing new tools and techniques for data management.

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