Coastal and Ocean Observations

OILAB is making efforts on answering how coastlines and land-use patterns are changing along the Bangladesh coasts and how it is affecting the communities living at the land’s edge. The lab is using a combination of field data, environmental data, and remote sensing observations to understand the coastal landscape both on land and under the sea changes due to natural events and human modifications. The Lab is focusing to make sense of the observable changes in shape of the coast lines and land use patterns for islands (i.e. Moheshkhali, Kutubdia, St. Martin’s Islands) located in the south-eastern coast of Bangladesh. The lab is collaborating with the scientists from WHOI to measure sea surface temperature and ocean pH changes in the northern Bay of Bengal by using satellite technology, state-of-the-art sensors, and cloud computing. The lab has planned to install Coastal and Ocean Observation System (COOS) in the offshore St. Martin’s Island and estuarine Moheshkhali Channel that will provide environmental data to validate various hydro-dynamic models, developed by the OILAB. The lab has developed multiple ocean models to simulate oceanic bio-physical environments under a given scenario using ROMS, Delft-3D and SWAN approaches. Moreover, OILAB has planned to contribute to global discovery in deep sea benthic observations from Bay of Bengal regions. OILAB members are receiving training as ROV pilots who can maintain and control remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). OILAB has initiated a special under water monitoring program in the St. Martin’s MPA since 2023 with the technical assistance from Canadian research partners.