In recent years, due to the constant effort by the Government for port, mining and industrial developments, SDMRI has extended its research activities and expertise in the field of marine related works like dredging, mining and other industries as there has been increasing awareness of the need for the balance between industrial development and environmental sanctity.

SDMRI Environmental Research Group (ERG) has highly competent scientists / experts / engineers with good expertise. The group consists of experts from dredging industry, marine biologists, environmental scientists, environmental engineers and social scientists with many years of field experience and research expertise.

• Environmental impact assessment on dredging works, ports, mining and marine industries.
• Environmental impact monitoring - chemical, physical, biological parameters.
• Thermal ecology of marine environment - particularly heavy metal analysis, estimation of BOD, COD, and bacterial load, identification of bacteria and    plankton bioassay.
• Assessment of TBT (Tributyltin) through biological monitoring.
• Assessment of pollutants and water quality.
• Coastal ecosystem remediation and resource survey.
• Assessment and monitoring of reef / sea grass ecosystem and associated fauna / flora.
• Reef / sea grass restoration.
• Fishery resource survey.
• Socio-economics, capacity building and environmental education.
• Documentation on socio-economic and environmental issues.

• Micro level environmental assessment in Kallar River Basin, funded by Public   Works Department, Govt. of Tamil Nadu.
• Post tsunami rapid assessment of status of corals of Gulf of Mannar in   collaboration with Tuticorin Port Trust (TPT), funded by TPT, MoEF, and   CORDIO.
• Post-tsunami rapid environmental impact assessment along Tamil Nadu Coast, funded by Department of Environment, Government of Tamil Nadu.