JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) researcher participated in India’s first winter scientific expedition to the Arctic

India has just concluded its first winter scientific expedition to the Arctic, marking a significant milestone in the country's objective of year-round monitoring of climatic conditions in the Arctic region. JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) was a proud participant in this significant expedition, which started in December 2023, spearheaded by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. Dr. Gipson Edappazham, Associate Professor in Marine Science from JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Kochi, secured his position in the fourth batch of the winter expedition, which started in early March, this year. The Indian team conducted their research from India's international research centre 'Himadri' in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway, delving into the unique challenges posed by the Polar Night, characterized by prolonged darkness and minimal sunlight.

Dr. Felix M. Philip is the Principal Investigator, Dr. Gipson Edappazham is the Co-Principal Investigator and Dr. Lakshmi Devi & Ms. Anupama Jims are the Co-Investigators of the research project tiled “Automated framework for detection and documentation of finfish biodiversity change of the Polar habitat using AI based deep learning models” which has been selected for the First Indian Winter Expedition to the Arctic by Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India.

Members of India’s Maiden Winter Scientific Arctic Expedition (Fourth Batch) at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway – from left to right Dr. Baiju K. R. (MG University), Dr. Gipson Edappazham (JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) Kochi Campus), Dr. Sandipan Dawn (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)), Dr. Siddhartha Sarkar (Physical Research Laboratory (PRL)) and Mr. Abhishek Mandal (IISER Kolkata).