Department of Biosciences, Saurashtra University, Rajkot celebrates its 50th year with a Global Project on Marine Biology with Dr. Kiran Liversage, the visiting scientist from Australia

Dr. Kiran Liversage, the visiting Australian Postdoctoral Researcher, currently from Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Mäealuse, Tallinn, Estonia, Europe, has tied up with the Department of Biosciences, Saurashtra University Rajkot, for a worldwide project named GLOBAL ROCK POOL SURVEY. Dr. Liversage will be working in collaboration with Prof. Rahul Kundu of the Department of Biosciences, Rajkot for two months. This global marine biological project is started by Dr. Louise Firth of the University of Plymouth, UK. She has organized 39 project participants to sample natural rock pool habitats at locations spread across the world. By sampling in the biodiverse rock pool habitats of south Saurashtra coastline, valuable data can be contributed to the project from the Indian subcontinent, including data of intertidal invertebrates, algae and corals. The project aims to determine the habitat qualities of rock pools during times of physical stress and times when less stress occurs. In India, the survey would be done for two months at Veraval, during heat stress in summer and during cooler times in winter. The survey is totally non-destructive and no species will be harmed. The current Project partners are Dr. Kiran Liversage, Field ecologist, University of Tartu; Prof. Rahul Kundu, the local coordinator, Saurashtra University, Rajkot, and Dr. Louise Firth, the overall project leader, University of Plymouth, UK. This short project of Dr. Liversage is funded by The Malacological Society of London, a highly prestigious scientific society founded in 1893. The project is backed up by the researchers of the Department of Biosciences, especially by the scholars of the Marine Biology and Ecotoxicology Lab. The Project outcomes include at least one co-authored project publication in  international  ecology  journal  by principle author Dr. Louise Firth, involving all global partners; one or two publications in local or international marine biology journal by principle author Dr Kiran Liversage, involving all local partners; collaborations between Saurashtra University and international higher-education organizations specifically European and Australian, and knowledge exchange of research skills and methods between participating Institutes worldwide.