Panaji: CSIR–NIO on Friday transferred its indigenously developed coral reef monitoring robot (C‑BOT) technology to Corrosion Protection Ltd, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. CSIR-NIO director Sunil Kumar Singh said the technology was created to meet rising challenges in monitoring coral ecosystems, increasingly affected by global warming and coral bleaching.He said conventional reef surveys require divers to enter the water and inspect coral, making the work difficult, time-consuming, and limited by conditions. C‑BOT, a robot equipped with specialised sensors and cameras, can independently approach coral formations, scan them and return with data for analysis.Singh said CSIR-NIO is also developing photogrammetry-based tools to calculate the precise dimensions, area, and volume of coral structures using photographs. This would enable scientists to track changes in coral health, assess recovery, and compare growth patterns year on year.He noted that India’s coastline has been re-assessed from about 7,500km to 11,096km by the National Hydrographic Office in coordination with the Survey of India, following updated terms of reference from the National Security Council Secretariat.Singh highlighted ocean resources, including fisheries, minerals, metals, and bioactive molecules with potential drug applications. He added CSIR-NIO’s underwater vehicles have operated up to 500m, with plans to extend to 2,000 and 6,000m. He said C‑BOT could also support bathymetric surveys, strategic missions and underwater assessments.
