Background Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute (SDMRI) is a non-governmental and non-profit Marine Research and Higher Education organization. The founders of SDMRI are well known personalities in the society. The Founder President of SDMRI, Mr. D.G. Rajan is an industrialist, administrator and social worker with various capacities in the society. SDMRI was established in 1998 under the Suganthi Devadason Trust (Reg. No. 290/1997) at Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, India with the aim           • to meet out the research needs of marine and coastal   ecosystems in India; • to uplift the socio-economic conditions of coastal folk; and • to promote higher education for capacity building.