FM University gets funds for horseshoe crab research, conservation

International Horseshoe Crab Day is on June 20

Bhubaneswar: The forest, environment and climate change department has sanctioned Rs 23 lakh to the Centre for Research and Conservation of Indian Horseshoe Crabs, Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, to conduct research on conservation of horseshoe crabs and to create awareness among locals not to harm living fossils of the world.Horseshoe crabs are older than dinosaurs.Last month, the office of the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) (wildlife) and chief wildlife warden under the forest, environment and climate change department asked the university to submit the first-year action plan along with budget provisions for release of funds.After getting the action plan, the PCCF (wildlife) office sanctioned funds three days ago for the research project, titled ‘In situ conservation of Indian Horseshoe Crabs by understanding habitats, genetics and adaptive processes with community participation’.Bharat Bhusan Patnaik, associate professor and head of the bioscience and biotechnology department, FM University, will be the principal investigator, and divisional forest officer (DFO), Balasore, will be associated with the project as co-principal investigator.“Under this project, we will conduct population study of the horseshoe crab. We will also go to the field and find out why their population is depleting.

We will next conduct their genetic study. We will explore why they are surviving and how they are surviving for so long,” said Patnaik.Bisnu Prasad Dash, an expert on horseshoe crab conservation and mentor of this project, said they will conduct capacity-building training of forest department staff along with the fishermen community for conservation of these horseshoe crabs apart from research works.“Fakir Mohan University will celebrate International Horseshoe Crab Day on June 20, where researchers, forest department people, students and experts will deliberate on this species,” he added.The university is also conducting another major project for ex-situ conservation of horseshoe crabs and assessment of other marine animals for bioresource exploration. This project comes under the Odisha Marine Biotechnology Research & Innovation Corridor programme of Odisha govt. Around Rs 2 crore has been sanctioned for this ex-situ conservation (conserving the species outside their natural habitat) and development of a technology to commercialise the production of this blue-blood animal.Sources said the initiative aims to strengthen conservation efforts through scientific research and community participation.