Kohima, January 27 (MExN): Vikesano Rosaline Punyu, has been awarded Doctorate of Philosophy in Marine Sciences on completion of her Ph.D. viva voce examination held on 21st April 2015 at the Department of Marine Sciences, Goa University.
Her research was conducted at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research laboratory- the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa.
The title of her thesis is “Palaeoproductivity Reconstruction For The Northern Indian Ocean Utilizing Lipid Biomakers” under the Guidance of Dr. V.K. Banakar, Chief Scientist, National Institute of Oceanography.
Scientist, Dr. V.K. Banakar has certified the thesis to be “an original contribution and the same has not been submitted on any previous occasion.” The present study is the first comprehensive work of its kind from the area mentioned in India. Dr. Banakar has further testified the unique achievement of Dr. Vikesano Rosaline Punyu that the thesis “is based on original ideas carried out by her under my supervision. The thesis or any part of it has not been previously submitted for any other degree or diploma in any university or institution.” It has been rated EXCELLENT by the anonymous reviewer.
Dr. Vikesano Rosaline Punyu’s extraordinary dissertation is probably the first thesis in India on palaeoclimate studies based on organic proxies, the study of the field being in its infancy in India. It is a focused study of the applications of organic geochemical proxies in oceanic palaeoproductivity reconstruction during the last 33,000 years.
Her finding in laymen’s language is that the rise in marine productivity coincided with the increase in global ice volume (the Last Glacial Maximum or more commonly, the last Ice Age). This would imply a strong possible link of marine phytoplanktons in absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and storing it in the ocean. This is the first study indicating the role of the tropical oceans in regulating global atmospheric CO2.
Her study has been conducted from deep sea sediment cores collected at a water depth ranging from 2000 m to over 3000 m below the sea level. The samples were collected onboard research vessels A.A. Siddorenko and Akademic Boris Petrov.
The Captain of the ship certified Vikesano Rosaline Punyu’s feat as follows: “This certificate is issued to seafarer of the Earth Indian R. Punyu that she was in sailing on ship “Akademik Boris Petrov” has intercepted Indian Ocean from a north to south and back. This seafarer doubly has intercepted line, dividing Earth into halves and called as EQUATOR. Having experienced all strong storms and sorrows out on her fate, she is worthy, and abiding, marine tradition, has returned tribute to Ocean and has rendered me, Neptune, respect, in what I testify.”
Dr. (Miss) Vikesano Rosaline Punyü hails from Khonoma village. She is the daughter of Rüükholie Punyü and Ahuno Punyü.
