Programs and Projects

OILAB contributes to a range of scientific efforts that help to understand bio-physical environments of the northern Bay of Bengal along with technological innovations for sustainable uses of coastal and marine resources through applied ocean researches both nationally and internationally.

IMS Photo-bioreactor: Innovation for marine algae production

Microalgae cultivation in photobioreactors (PBRs) has gaining lot of interest as a sustainable approach that offer multiple benefits across diverse applications. OiLAB has been investigating to advance the photo-bioreactor technology optimizing the design that can ensure maximum production maintaining the…

ECOBAS project

The objective of the ECOBAS project was to provide the coastal people of Bangladesh with an alternative approach for adaptation to coastal erosion and flooding. By using the concept of “eco-engineering” the natural resistance of shellfish reefs against hydrodynamic forces…

Seaweeds Production with Marketing and Value Chain Analysis Project

Seaweeds production can play a significant role in catalyzing sustainable aquaculture activity in many developing countries. Despite having over 8500 km2 (<5 m depth) exploitable coastal area and 335 different types of natural populations of seaweeds, only few species are…

MASS (Mussel aquaculture development for social sustainability in Bangladesh) Project

Shellfish aquaculture is a sustainable green industry and has an important role in food supply and food security throughout the world. Particularly, bivalve mollusc such as oyster and mussel aquaculture have been consider as one of the economic activities and…

Bioactive secondary metabolites from marine sponge Project

Marine sponges are functionally important members of the benthic community and often contain dense and diverse microbial assemblages. These microbes play crucial roles in ecosystem functioning (i.e. nutrient and carbon cycling, organic matter degradation etc.), and the production of bioactive…

Reef associated fish monitoring program

The coral reef ecosystems in the Bay of Bengal are home to over 1,000 fish species and contribute 25% to marine capture fisheries, mostly from fringing reefs. St. Martin’s Island is a sedimentary continental landmass located in the northeastern Bay…

Shark, rays and dolphin monitoring programs in MPAs

Elasmobranchs (i.e. sharks, rays, skates, and sawfish) are specialized to their specific environments and facing environmental crises. Many of these populations have experienced severe declines over the past few decades due to significant threats from overfishing, habitat degradation, and climate…

Sundarban expeditions: Aaquatic health monitoring program

Sundarbans is the world’s largest mangrove forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna (GBM) rivers on the Bay of Bengal. It is one of biologically diverse and conservation landscapes of global…

Micro-plastic monitoring initiatives

Microplastic pollution has become a serious concern in the Bay of Bengal region. It is posing a threat to marine biota and human health through trophic transfer of microplastics and their bioaccumulation. OiLAB members contributed to determine microplastics in gastrointestinal…

Phytoplankton bloom monitoring program

This program aims to characterize the phytoplankton community succession on the northern coast of the Bay of Bengal at monthly interval using spectrophotometric chlorophyll-a determination and light microscopy screening. Monthly samples have been collecting at spring tide during the day…

Ecological vulnerability assessment program for ship breaking coastal areas

Ship breaking activities in the coastal areas have gained national importance for the Bangladesh economy. Increasing demand of raw materials for re-rolling mills and negative impacts on coastal environments, ship breaking activities present both challenges and opportunities for area based…

Plankton and primary productivity monitoring programs

Management of coastal ecosystem has become a pivotal issue for northern Bay of Bengal, which is extremely dynamic due to the influences of monsoonal climate. Particularly, the primary productivity acts as the base of food web and indicator of ecosystem…

Coastal and Ocean Observation System (COOS) development program

COOS development program is a science-driven initiative by the OILAB that aims to build a prototype ocean observation system to deliver real-time data in order to address critical science questions regarding the role of dynamic monsoonal climate in the Bay…

Satellite based coastal and ocean monitoring program

Three aspects have been considered under this program: (1) monitoring the long term variability of sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface salinity, pH, and chlorophyll concentration over the Bay of Bengal using satellite based records as vital indicators of changing…

Ocean model development program

OILAB has been trying to improve analytical skills through development of multiple ocean models for better understanding hydrodynamic nature of the northern Bay of Bengal under this program. OILAB integrates different computer language programs for ocean modeling, such as: (1)…