USJP hosted the Global baseline marine debris survey in partnership with CSIRO Australia : A global effort to assess the plastic waste from land to the sea. Big thank to Dr. Denise Hardesty, TJ Lawson, Qamar Schyler from CSIRO. ALSO, to the volunteers from Department of Zoology, USJP making this effort very successful. And team from Bangladesh came for training sessions. Dr. Kamal Ranathunga was the national Coordinator of the programme.
New research centre named “Environmental Change Sciences and Technology Innovation Center (ECSTIC)” was established at Department of Zoology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura with the support from National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan. Joint research centre has planned to conduct research in Marine science and natural product characterization.
In-line with establishment of “Environmental Change Sciences and Technology Innovation Center”, brainstorming session on Marine Research & Genetic Characterization of Natural Products was also conducted. During the session, staff and the students were given opportunity to interact with academic delegates from National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU), Taiwan and future research collaborations, student/staff exchange programs and postgraduate fellowships were also discussed.
Further, the centre will have research collaborations with Interdisciplinary Center for Innovation in Biotechnology & Neuroscience of the Faculty of Medical Science.
Dr Kamal Ranatunga, Department of Zoology will serve as the Director of the research centre.
Authors: M.G.Y.L. Mahagamage, Pavithrani S. Manage, Pathmalal M Manage
Journal: JOURNAL OF WATER AND LAND DEVELOPMENT
In Sri Lanka, among 2588 Salmonella positive cases, the highest incidences were recorded from Jaffna peninsula during 2005 to 2013. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify the microbiological and chemical contamination status of groundwater (40 well water) sources in Jaffna during November 2016. The total coliform, E. coli, Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. along with some physico-chemical parameters of groundwater were studied. The results revealed that entire peninsula was contaminated with total coliform and E. coli bacteria and the parameters recorded were not within the WHO and SLS (Sri Lanka Standards) drinking water quality standards
Zoology and Aquatic Resource Management students who selected for the special degree programme organized a tea party at the Department board room on 21st February. Prof. Pathmalal Manage, Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies, Prof. Dharshani Mahaulpataha, Head of the Department, academic members, research students, non-academic members participated in the event.
(Photographic contributions: Deelaka Nipuna, Nayana Wijayathilaka)
