30 scientists find a home in deep sea on four Chennai-based ships

CHENNAI: Nearly 100 crew members, including 30 scientists, who have been on scientific missions on board ocean research vessels have decided to stay put till the 21-day lockdown in the country ends. They are on board four ships belonging to the Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) which set sail more than three weeks ago to map the seabed, study samples and deploy tsunami warning systems on the east and west coasts.

NIOT director M A Atmanand said scientists on Sagar Nidhi, Sagar Manjusha, Sagar Anveshika and Sagar Tara have been collecting different kinds of data. “Staying there is safer than coming to land. We have instructed all our four ships to return around April 14,” he s