About Bhavasagara Referral Centre:
- It is designated as a National Repository for Deep-Sea Fauna.
- It was conferred under the provisions of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
- It establishes the Centre as a critical national facility for the preservation, study, and documentation of India's vast deep-sea biological heritage.
- It currently serves as a vital scientific hub, housing an extensive collection various taxonomically identified and geo-referenced voucher specimens.
- The collection spans a diverse range of marine life, from invertebrates—including cnidarians, annelids, molluscs, arthropods, and echinoderms—to vertebrates such as elasmobranchs and teleostean fishes.
- Under the Biological Diversity Act, the Repository is authorized to:
- Maintain Secure Custody: Preserve representative biological samples as voucher specimens along with critical associated data, such as DNA sequences, for future scientific reference.
- Hold Type Specimens: Act as the official custodian for any new deep-sea species discovered within Indian waters.
- Capacity Building: Foster expertise in deep-sea taxonomy, aligning with the goals of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030).
