Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services

• The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
• It is located in Hyderabad & was established in 1999.
• It is a unit of the Earth System Science Organization (ESSO), New Delhi.
• It is mandated to provide the best possible ocean information and advisory services to society, industry, government agencies and the scientific community through sustained ocean observations and constant improvement through systematic and focused research.

Earth System Science Organization

• The ESSO operates as an executive arm of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) for its policies and programmes.
• Aim: to develop and improve capability to forecast, weather, climate and hazard related phenomena for social, economic and environmental benefits including addressing aspects relating to climate change science, and climate services.
• It is also responsible for the development of technology towards the exploration and exploitation of marine resources.
• It has four major branches of earth sciences.
  
  • Ocean Science & Technology
  • Atmospheric and Climate Science
  • Geoscience and Technology
  • Polar Science and Cryosphere

What is Bathymetry?

• Bathymetry is the study and mapping of the underwater topography of water bodies, such as oceans, rivers, lakes, and streams.
  • It involves measuring the depth of the water and is similar to mapping the topography of land.
  • Bathymetric maps use contour lines to show the shape and elevation of underwater terrain.
• Bathymetry is the foundation of the science of hydrography, which measures the physical features of a water body.
  • Hydrography includes not only bathymetry, but also the shape and features of the shoreline; the characteristics of tides, currents, and waves; and the physical and chemical properties of the water itself.