To make a significant contribution to environmental, climate and earth sciences research and application in India through local capacity building as well as increased regional and international cooperation.

• Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center (NERSC), Bergen, Norway
• Nansen International Environmental and Remote Sensing Centre, St. Petersburg, Russia.
• Nansen‐Zhu International Research Centre, Beijing, China.
• Nansen Scientific Society, Bergen, Norway.
• Nansen-Tutu Centre, Cape Town, S.Africa
• Terra Orbit AS – a research company, Bergen, Norway.

NERCI capitalize on the joint expertise of the Nansen Group.

Personnel

Nansen Centre (India) is currently functioned by four scientists with two Associate scientists and two visiting Associate scientists. Two Indian doctoral students conduct research respectively at University of Bergen and NERSC, Norway and Cochin University of Science and Technology, are also affiliated with NERCI.

The NERCI scientific research advisory board was consulted for taking guidance for R&D activities and promotion of education and social interaction with institutes in India and abroad

Doctoral Program

PhD students under joint projects

Two fulltime and six part time doctoral students are currently carrying out their research work jointly at CUSAT and KUFOS or in affiliation with NERCI and NERSC including the Nansen Scientific Society Ph. D. Fellowship programme.

Smitha A- INDO-MARECLIM fellow and part-time Ph.D student at CUSAT under the guidance of Prof. H. S. Ram Mohan.

Topic of research:Wind induced upwelling and the response of surface chlorophyll in the Bay of Bengal.

Ajin A M- Registered for Ph. D under the guidance of Prof. N. R. Menon at CUSAT.

Topic of research: Marine ecosystem studies and biodiversity concepts.

Nashad. M - Registered for PhD under the guidance of Prof. N. R. Menon at CUSAT. Co-guide at NERCI Dr. Nandini Menon. N. Co-guide at NERSC – Lasse H Pettersson.

Topic of research: Monitoring and modelling of Harmful algal blooms along the South Westcoast of India.

Shinu Sheela Wilson-Nansen Scientific Society fellow, doing Ph. D under the guidance of Prof. Mohankumar at CUSAT. Co-guides at NERCI-Dr. P. V. Joseph and Dr. Ajith Joseph. Co-guides at NERSC - Prof. Ola. M. Johannessen and Dr.YongqiGao.

Topic of research: Inter annual variability of monsoon over India.

R. Renju– DST- INSPIRE Fellow, doing research under the guidance of Prof. N. R. Menon at CUSAT.

Topic of research: Taxonomy and Systematics of Benthic Foraminiferans from the South-West Coast of India.

P. Soorya - registered for Ph.D at CUSAT under the guidance of Prof. N.R. Menon.

Topic of research: Structure, seasonality and trophic efficiency of autotrophic picoplankton and their importance in biogeochemistry of Cochin backwater.

Jaini Sara Babu– Guided by Dr. Ajith Joseph and registered as full time research scholar at NERCI under KUFOS in 2016.

Topic of research: Monitoring and forecasting of coastal circulation using remote sensing and hydrodynamic modelling.

Basil Abraham – Guided by Dr. Bindu. G, and registered as full time research scholar at NERCI under KUFOS in 2016.

Topic of research: Investigating the regional differences on health effects of short term and long term exposure to ambient air pollution

Six full time and two part time doctoral students are currently carrying out their research work jointly at CUSAT or in affi ti with NERCI and NERSC including the Nansen Scientifi Society Ph.D fellowship programme.

Ajin A M – INDO-MARECLIM fellow doing PhD under the guidance of Prof. N. R. Menon at CUSAT.
Topic of research: Marine ecosystem studies and biodiversity concepts.

Sachin Pavithran – INDO-MARECLIM fellow, doing PhD under the guidance of Prof. K. C. Sankaranarayanan at CUSAT.
Topic of research: Pressures, trends and impacts in the coastal zones; interactions between socio-economic and natural systems.

Smitha A- INDO-MARECLIM fellow and part-time PhD student at CUSAT under the guidance of Prof. H. S. Ram Mohan.
Topic of research: Wind induced upwelling and the response of surface chlorophyll in the Bay of Bengal

Mary Swapna George –Part-time PhD student at the Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center (NERSC), affiliated to University of Bergen, Norway. Her main supervisor is Prof. Ola M Johannessen and co-guide is Dr. Laurent Bertino.
Topic of research: Indian ocean modelling using HYCOM.

Nashad. M -Nansen Scientific Society fellow, doing PhD under the guidance of Prof. N. R. Menon at CUSAT. Co-guide at NERCI Dr. Nandini Menon. N. Co-guide at NERSC – Lasse H Pettersson.
Topic of research: Monitoring and modelling of Harmful algal blooms along the South West coast of India.

Shinu Sheela Wilson – Nansen Scientific Society fellow, doing PhD under the guidance of Prof. Mohankumar. K at CUSAT. Co- guides at NERCI – Dr. P. V. Joseph and Dr. Ajith Joseph. Co-guides at NERSC Prof. Ola. M. Johannessen and Yongqi Gao.
Topic of research: Inter annual variability of monsoon over India.

Muhammed Shafeeque - Junior Research Fellow in the SAC- ISRO joint project registered for PhD under Prof.A.N Balchand of CUSAT. Topic of research: Application of satellite altimetry (Altika) and Ocean Colour (Oceansat II) in the studies of mesoscale features of the South-eastern Arabian Sea. R. Renju - State Committee on Science Technology and Environ- ment (STEC) Fellow, Govt. of Kerala doing research under the guidance of Prof. N. R. Menon at CUSAT.
Topic of research -Taxonomy and Systematics of Benthic Foraminiferans from the South-West Coast of India.

Board of Directors

Lasse H. Pettersson (Chairman)
Director of International cooperation, NERSC, Norway.

Dr. Sebastian H. Mernild
Director, NERSC, Norway.

Dr. Annette Samuelsen
Scientist, NERSC, Norway.

Dr.K.Ajith Joseph
Executive Director, NERCI.

Prof. P. V. Joseph,
Director (Rtd), India Meteorological Department, Kochi, India.

Dr. N. Nandini Menon
Deputy Director, NERCI.

Scientific Research Advisory Board

Dr. N. P. Kurian, (Chairman)
Director (Rtd.), National Centre for Earth Science Studies. Trivandrum.

Prof. P.V. Joseph, (Director, Rtd)
India Meteorological Department, Kochi, India

Prof. B. Madhusoodana Kurup (Former Vice -Chancellor)
Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS).

Dr. M. Ramalingam (Former Director)
Institute of Remote Sensing, Anna University, Chennai

Prof. T. Balasubramanian (Vice Chancellor)
Chettinad Health University, Chennai

HONORARY MEMBERS

Mr. Thomas Mathew (Advisor, Rtd)
NORINCO Pvt. Limited, Kochi, India.

Profile of NERCI Scientific Research Advisory Board

The NERCI Scientific Research Advisory Board monitors the research activities of NERCI and gives guidance for R&D activities as well as promotion of education and interaction with institutes in India and abroad.

Prof. P.V. Joseph was for thirty-two years part of the India Meteorological Department, working in Geomagnetism, and in the operational jobs of Weather Prediction, Aviation Meteorology and Cyclone Warning. Served as Director of the Meteorological Training School of IMD at Pune where he taught tropical meteorology and weather prediction at advanced levels. After retiring from IMD in 1989 he took up various assignments in USA and India. Currently Dr. Joseph is Associate Scientist and Group Head at the Monsoon, Ocean variability and Climate change studies at NERCI and also Professor Emeritus at the Department of atmospheric science, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin. Dr. Joseph has done original research for five decades in Tropical Meteorology (Monsoons, Cyclones and Thunderstorms), Climate Change and Ocean-Atmosphere interaction. He has about 60 research publications in reputed Scientific Journals on these subjects. Dr. Joseph is the team leader for the studies of Monsoon and ocean variability, Climate change and sea level variations. Prof. P. V. Joseph is the member of the International Advisory Panel in Meteorology of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India and continued to be Co-Chairman of the STORM Field Experiment's Implementation Committee. He is the elected President of the Ocean Society of India.

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