Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute

Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute is situated at 44-Beach Road. The location is the best part, being so close to the water. You can smell the salt in the air most days. It’s an old building that has seen a lot of weather and sea spray. Inside, it’s full of jars, books, and equipment that looks like it’s been used for decades. There are lab benches that are stained and scratched from years of projects. We have a lot of samples stored in various rooms. It’s not a shiny new facility. It’s a place where real research happens, which means it’s often messy. There are charts pinned to the walls and notebooks lying open on tables. Sometimes the power flickers when the wind picks up off the coast. We have a small crew here. Everyone knows where everything is, even if it looks like a mess to an outsider. The hallway is narrow and the floors creak a bit when you walk on them. We don't have a fancy lobby or a receptionist. If you walk in, you’ll probably find someone hunched over a microscope or typing away at a computer. It’s a quiet place for the most part, dedicated to studying the sea and the life in it. We just go about our business day by day, rain or shine. There are always fish tanks gurgling in the background and someone checking the water levels constantly.