Influence of basin-scale and mesoscale physical processes on biological productivity in the Bay of Bengal during the summer monsoon

Physical forcing plays a major role in determining biological processes in the ocean across the full spectrum of spatial and temporal scales. Variability of biological production in the Bay of Bengal (BoB) based on basin-scale and mesoscale physical processes is presented using hydrographic data collected during the peak summer monsoon in July–August, 2003. Three different and spatially varying physical processes were identified in the upper 300 m: (I) anticyclonic warm gyre offshore in the southern Bay; (II) a cyclonic eddy in the northern Bay; and (III) an upwelling region adjacent to the southern coast. In the warm gyre (>28.8 °C), the low salinity (33.5) surface waters contained low concentrations of nutrients. These warm surface waters extended below the euphotic zone, which resulted in an oligotrophic environment with low surface chlorophyll a (0.12 mg m⁻³), low surface primary production (2.55 mg C m⁻³ day⁻¹) and low zooplankton biovolume (0.14 ml m⁻³). In the cyclonic eddy, the elevated isopycnals raised the nutricline upto the surface (NO₃–N > 8.2 μM, PO₄–P > 0.8 μM, SiO₄–Si > 3.5 μM). Despite the system being highly eutrophic, response in the biological activity was low. In the upwelling zone, although the nutrient concentrations were lower compared to the cyclonic eddy, the surface phytoplankton biomass and production were high (Chl a – 0.25 mg m⁻³, PP – 9.23 mg C m⁻³ day⁻¹), and mesozooplankton biovolume (1.12 ml m⁻³) was rich. Normally in oligotrophic, open ocean ecosystems, primary production is based on ‘regenerated’ nutrients, but during episodic events like eddies the ‘production’ switches over to ‘new production’. The switching over from ‘regenerated production’ to ‘new production’ in the open ocean (cyclonic eddy) and establishment of a new phytoplankton community will take longer than in the coastal system (upwelling). Despite the functioning of a cyclonic eddy and upwelling being divergent (transporting of nutrients from deeper waters to surface), the utilization of nutrients leading to enhanced biological production and its transfer to upper trophic levels in the upwelling region imply that the energy transfer from primary production to secondary production (mesozooplankton) is more efficient than in the cyclonic eddy of the open ocean. The results suggest that basin-scale and mesoscale processes influence the abundance and spatial heterogeneity of plankton populations across a wide spatial scale in the BoB. The multifaceted effects of these physical processes on primary productivity thus play a prominent role in structuring of zooplankton communities and could consecutively affect the recruitment of pelagic fisheries.     

Response of infaunal macrobenthos to the sediment granulometry in a tropical continental margin–southwest coast of India

Surficial sediment samples, collected from the continental margin of the southwest coast of India in July 2004, were examined for the grain size and soft-bottom macrobenthic fauna, to understand the sediment granulometry and its effect on the faunal distribution. Samples were collected using Smith-McIntyre Grab, from 20 to 200 m depth range, consisting of mid-shelf, outer shelf and slope. Fine-grained sediment located in the mid shelf and supported low faunal abundance. Polychaetes constituted the bulk of the fauna. Feeding guild changed with depth and sediment granulometry. Coexistence of deposit feeders and carnivores in outer shelf and deposit feeders and filter feeders in the slope region indicated the effective utilization of different food resources. In general, richness and diversity were high in the southern region. Depth wise, the diversity and abundance were relatively high in the 50–75 m depth range. Correlation and BIO-ENV analysis showed that combination of different factors such as sediment texture, sediment sorting and depth were found to influence the distribution of macrobenthos. Hence, spatial variations observed in benthic community were presumably linked to the variations in sediment granulometry and the energy level conditions prevailing in the area.     

Time-dependent plume front positioning and its dynamics coupled with seasonal river efflux

Ocean Dynamics - The time-dependent plume front positioning with respect to different tidal phases and its dynamics coupled with seasonal river efflux on the shelf off Kochi, southwest coast of...     

Environmental set-up and tidal propagation in a tropical estuary with dual connection to the sea (SW Coast of India)

The Kochi Backwater (KB) is the second largest wetland system in India. It is connected to the sea at Fort Kochi and Munambam (Pallipuram) (30 km north of Kochi). As the tide is forced through two openings, its propagation in the backwater system is very complicated, particularly in the northern arm of the estuary. Using synchronous water level (WL) and current measurements in the KB from a network of stations during 2007–2008, it was convenient to demarcate the northern KB into two distinct regions according to the tidal forcing from the north (Pallipuram) and south (Vallarpadam). This demarcation is useful for computing the propagation speeds of the dominant tidal constituents in the northern branch of the KB with dual opening for opposing tides. WL variations indicated that M₂ tide (Principal lunar semidiurnal constituent) dominated in the sea level variance, followed by the K₁ constituent (Luni-solar declinational diurnal constituent). The M₂ tidal influence was the strongest near the mouth and decayed in the upstream direction. The propagation speed of the M₂ tide in the southern estuary was ~3.14 m/s. The ratio of the total annual runoff to the estuarine volume is ~42 that indicates the estuary will be flushed 42 times in a year. KB can be classified as a monsoonal estuary where the river discharge exhibits large seasonal variation.     

Sound speed variation in the coastal waters off Cochin and signature of subsurface maxima

Ocean Dynamics - We investigated the vertical and horizontal variation of the sound speed using the Thermodynamic Equation Of Seawater-2010 (TEOS-10) and monthly CTD observations at Cochin estuary...     

Modelling of tidal hydrodynamics for a tropical ecosystem with implications for pollutant dispersion (Cohin Estuary, Southwest India)

Tidal circulation in the Cochin Estuary, a moderately polluted estuary along the southwest coast of India, was studied using a 2D hydrodynamic model. The predicted tides and currents showed very good agreement with measured tides. Particle trajectories and residual currents computed from the model have been used to classify the study region into three zones: northern estuary, central estuary, and southern estuary. The central estuary is dynamic, whereas the other two zones are relatively weak. An amplification of measured tides in the south estuary during March indicates the presence of standing waves caused by the hydraulic barrier at Thanneermukkom. Model results suggest that the northern and southern zones are sensitive to environmental pollution. The present level of pollution in the northern estuary is due to the direct release of industrial effluents into the river Periyar, which can be minimized if they are brought down to central estuary for disposal. The concept of different zones in the estuary will be useful to planners in protecting the vulnerable regions of this productive ecosystem from human interventions.