Annual Report 2009-2010 - Ministry Of Earth Sciences

Fig. 7.8: Primary productivity (mgC/m2/day) estimated from satellite chl using Vertically Generalised
Production Model (VGPM)
7.7 Marine Living Resources (MLR)
Programme
The main objective of the MLR programme is
to correlate living resources with the physical
environment and establish response strategies of
living organism to changes in the environment.
Spatio-temporal progression of Summer
Monsoon (SM) upwelling along the southwest
(SW) coast and associated productivity patterns
including the distribution and abundance of fish
eggs and larvae and, the hydrography especially
warming of the Lakshadweep area and its
influence on MLR were studied. The studies
indicate that, the forcing mechanisms and
upwelling patterns are not homogeneous to the
entire coast and shows high degree of variability
both in time and space. Other activities under
MLR includes preliminary assessment of the
impact of closed fishing season on the marine
benthos along the Kerala coast, studies on the
marine mammal diversity and distribution and
establishment of Indian Ocean Biogeographical
System (IndOBIS).
Primary production in the euphotic column
was maximum (>1000 mgC/m2/day) during the
initial phase (June) compared to the withdrawal
phase (September) of the upwelling process
(800 mgC/m2/day). (Fig. 7.8)
Highest density of fish eggs was recorded along
30m stations off Kochi followed off Valappad and
off Trivandrum.
A dedicated site on Indian Ocean Biogeographic
Information System (IndOBIS) has been
established at CMLRE as the regional node of the
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
(IOC) global biodiversity programme. The site
currently holds information on the species diversity
and abundance of 8722 species of marine animals
and 1268 species of marine plants recorded from
the Indian Ocean region.
Ministry of Earth Sciences : Annual Report 2009-10 49