PREFACE

In January 1990 when Bioinformatics Centre was established at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa with the funding from Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, New Delhi, NIODMLI (NIO's Database on Marine Life of India) was much more than a dream. Bioinformatics Centre was established with the aim to recollate and redisseminate the Indian Marine Biodiversity. Today, this first version of NIODMLI, in its ambitious, yet realistic thurst recollate the information on Indian Marine Prawns.

NIODMLI is a instrument to harmonize and bring together divergent sources of information on Indian marine prawns. It is also broad and deep in its information content as you may experience in the product.

NIODMLI is a representative of a new generation of products which link specialist knowledge to forms of communication and access outside the exclusive realm of specialists. It takes advantage of modern information technology the cost of which has come down to a point where it is within the reach of (almost) everybody. This offers a potential for mass distribution and interactive use unrivalled by more traditional supports such as books. This predisposes the database to serve as a "hightech" approach and solution to some of the problems of underdevelopment, notably seperation from mainstream information flows and science.

We all realise that the current version of NIODMLI (Marine Prawns of India) is not the ultimate product, there may not be one. However, it marks a great deal of achievement in a wider and longer process of gathering and sharing information, shaping future research (possiblities) by making the sources available, directly and indirectly. Directly, because whatever the current shortcomings in data coverage, it is a lot more than scientists and teachers have accessible to them now so easily. Indirectly, because we attach great expectation to the continued and hopefully growing willingness and interest of colleagues all over the country to associate themselves with the process. In exchange for their bit or chunk, they get the whole lot of credit.

A final word of thanks is due to the Bioinformatics team. It is largely thanks to their courageous and lucid work that a dream is crossing the border from dream to reality. The spirit of cooperation and respect the team has demonstrated throughout the exciting development phase is the best asset for the future of Indian Marine Biodiversity as a whole.

Dr. Ehrlich Desa

Director

National Institute of Oceanography

Dona Paula, Goa 403 004, India.