REPORT OF ACTIVITIES UBDER IO-COML FOR THE PERIOD 2007-08
1. Continuation of activities begun earlier:
Following the hands on training on bar-coding organized by IO-CoML in April 2007, Dr.
Shanta Achuthankutty, a participant from NIO, initiated bar-coding work at NIO’s
Regional Centre at Kochi, India. As a result, the following sequences have been
completed and submitted to GENBANK.
1. EU139434, Penaeus monodon cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene, partial cds;
mitochondrial, gi 157420116
2. EU139433, Fenneropenaeus indicus cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene, partial
cds; mitochondrial, gi 157420114
3. EU071387, Crassostrea madrasensis cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene, partial
cds; mitochondrial, gi 155970562
4. EU717687, Rhopalophthalmus indicus cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI),
gene, partial cds; mitochondrial, gi 204306081
5. EU717686, Mesopodopsis orientalis cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene,
partial cds; mitochondrial, gi 204306079
6. EU407234, Sagitta bedoti cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, partial cds;
mitochondrial, gi 169730597
The following sequences are ready for submission to GENBANK
1. BANKIT1130082, Euphausia diomedeae isolate 1 COI gene, partial sequence;
mitochondrial
2. BANKIT1130101, Thysanopoda orientalis isolate 1 COI gene, partial sequence;
mitochondrial.
This initiative also led to the preparation of one scientific paper for a peer-reviewed
journal and one abstract.
Paper: Nair, V.R., Giridhar, R. Xavier, F. and Nair, S. Molecular identification of marine
zooplankton: Sagitta bedoti, Beraneck, 1985 (Chaetognatha) through DNA barcodes.
Curr. Sci. (in press).
Abstract: Giridar, R. P., Kidangan, F., Vijayamma, J., Ponnampakkam, L., Nair, S.
Genetic diversity within the Penaeid shrimp Metapenaeus affinis (H.M.Edwards, 1837)
from Indian waters. 8th APMBC, Busan, Korea, Nov 2008.
This initiative also led to a good capacity building (Mr. F. Kidangan and Mr. R. P. Giridar)
within the team.
The team also collected DNA samples from 69 taxonomically identified organisms from
coastal waters of India, which are in various stages of progress in terms of sequencing.
In a parallel initiative supported by CoML, Prof. Ajmal Khan, another participant in the
training course on bar-coding, has collected DNA samples from more than 200
organisms. The COI sequence of Mugil cephalus was submitted to NCBI database and
the approval is pending. The accession number assigned is EU19545.
This study also found that DNA extraction of mollusks and tunicates was not easy, and
the primers currently available are not effective. The team, in consultation with Dr. Dirk
Steinke, Canadian Centre for DNA barcoding, University of Guelph, Canada, is working
on resolution of these problems.
2. Description of new species:
IO-CoML supported a collaborative research between Dr. B. Ingole and Prof. T.
Chatterjee on a lesser known group “marine littoral oribatid mites”. This led to the
description of 2 new species and publication of a total of 4 papers on this group in the
current year.
1. Bayartogtokh, B., T. Chatterjee, B. K. K. Chan & B. Ingole (2008). Contribution to
the Knowledge of Marine Littoral Oribatid Mites of the Genus Fortuynia (Acari:
Oribatida: Fortuyniidae): Descriptions of Two New Species from Taiwan and
India. Zoological Studies (in press).
2. Pesic, V., T. Chatterjee, B. K. K. Chan & B. Ingole (2008). Marine water mites
(Acari: Hydrachnidia: Pontarachnidae) from Taiwan, Korea and India with the first
description of the male of Pontarachna australis Smit, 2003. Systematic &
Applied Acarology, 13:70-74.
3. Dovgal I., T. Chatterjee & B. Ingole (2008) An overview of Suctorian ciliates
(Ciliophora, Suctorea) as epibionts of halacarid mites (Acari, Halacaridae).
Zootaxa, 1810:60.68).
4. Ingole B, R. Singh, S. Sautya, I. Dovgal & T. Chatterjee (2008). Report of
Epibiont Thecacineta calix (Ciliophora, Suctorea) on deep sea Desmodora
(Nematoda) from the Andaman Sea, Indian Ocean. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK
(communicated)
In another study on the Chaetognaths of the Andaman Sea, Dr. V. Nair described two
new species of Chaetognaths (Krohnitta balagopali and Sagitta meenakshiae), which led
to the following publication.
Nair, V.R., Panampunnayil, S.U., Honey, Pillai, U.K. and Gireesh, R. 2008. Two new
species of Chaetognatha from Andaman Sea, Indian Ocean. Marine Biology Research,
4, 208-214.
3. New initiatives:
IO-CoML associated with National Institute of Oceanography and the Administration of
Union Territory of Lakshadweep (India) in supporting the organization of the national
seminar “Status and Protection of Coral Reefs-STAPCOR 2008” in India in January
2008. IO-CoML supported the participation of 11 students in the workshop in order to
enable them understand the importance of conservation of coastal and marine
biodiversity. The students in turn gave talks in their schools on return and helped spread
the message.
As part of ICOMM, DNA from some sediment samples of extreme habitats (salt pans,
deep-sea) have been extracted. These are to be analyzed soon.
4. Ind-OBIS
With the initial support provided by OBIS, the Ind-OBIS has been developed to the
current state wherein about data for about 42000 species from IO region have been
entered.
IO-CoML is actively pursuing a continuity of the IndOBIS and is taking up this issue with
NIO to have the Ind-OBIS integrated as an institutional activity
5. Meetings attended by IO-CoML team.
P.A. Loka Bharathi and M. Wafar:

All Program meeting of CoML, New Zealand, Nov. 2007

NRIC synthesis workshop, Washington, May 2008
M. Wafar
Meeting at CoML Secretariat (Washington) and with OBIS team (Rutgers Univ.), Sep.
2007
P.A. Loka Bharathi
Steering Committee meeting of ICOMM, Amsterdam, May 2008
B. Ingole
OBIS Manager Committee Meeting, Rutgers Univ. Feb 2008
GBIF's Observational Data Task Group meeting, Copenhagen, June 2008
Workshop on Roles of Habitat Heterogeneity in Generating and Maintaining Continental
Margin Biodiversity, San Diego, Sep 2008
6. Plans for next year

IO-CoML envisages a one- day workshop on marine bar-coding where Dr. Paul
Hebert and Dr. Christian Burks are expected to interact with scientists and
government officials from India.

In view of the progress in bar-coding, IO-CoML envisages a second training
using Dr. Shanta Nair and Prof. Ajmal Khan as resource persons.

IO-CoML envisages contributing one or two satellite tags for studies on whale
shark migration, so as to pave way for introduction of OTN project in the region.