Extreme monsoon from global warming may lead to dip in sea fish catch: Report
Global warming is likely to lead to more intense and erratic monsoons in the region. To understand how such shifts could impact marine life in the
Indian Ocean
, a team of researchers examined ancient plankton shell records from the
Bay of Bengal
seabed, dating back 22,000 years. Their findings raise concerns about the future.
#Pahalgam Terrorist Attack
The groundwork before India mounts a strike at Pakistan
India considers closing airspace to Pakistani carriers amid rising tensions
Cold Start: India's answer to Pakistan's nuclear threats
Monsoon extremes over the past 10-20,000 years led to disruptions in ocean ecosystems and a crash in marine productivity in the Bay of Bengal, showed their study, published in
Nature
on Monday. Combining these historical patterns with climate projections, researchers found that intense monsoons caused by global warming could result in similar disruptions in marine productivity in the future.
"We argue that as the monsoon becomes stronger and more variable, productivity collapses," said Kaustubh Thirumalai, the study's lead author and a scientist at the University of
Arizona
. That's important, he notes, because although the Bay of Bengal covers less than 1% of ocean area, it generates almost 8% of global fishery production. "The hilsa fishery by itself sustains the protein needs of one of the most densely populated regions in the world," he said.
5
5
Next
Stay
Playback speed
1x Normal
Back
0.25x
0.5x
1x Normal
1.5x
2x
5
5
/
Skip
Ads by
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
This Man Revealing His Strategy To Earn 3K-5K Daily Income
thefutureuniversity
Learn More
Undo
For the study, researchers analysed fossilised foraminifera, microscopic single-cell zooplankton that hold a record of environmental conditions in their calcium carbonate shells to reconstruct the history of the Indian summer monsoon. Interestingly, they found that both extremes of rainfall - low and high - led to similar disruptions in ocean ecosystems, suggesting that marine productivity depends on a specific range of environmental conditions.
Weak monsoons occurred in a cold phase between 17,500 and 15,000 years ago, while strong monsoons occurred during a period of warming in the early Holocene around 10,000 years ago. Marine productivity declined in both periods.
Live Events
How does monsoon rainfall over land influence ocean processes? One way is through river runoff which brings fresh water from the Ganga and other rivers into the Bay of Bengal. This fresh water forms a layer on the surface of the ocean, preventing the mixing of water. "If the water doesn't mix, you don't have nutrients replenishing the surface ocean, the sunlit part of the ocean where plankton photosynthesise," said Thirumalai. Plankton are the foundation of the ocean's food chain.
Warmer oceans - and the Indian Ocean is already warming - can also increase this "stratification" of water layers, and prevent the mixing of nutrients-rich waters. "Climate projections under future boundary conditions show stronger monsoon rainfall, warmer surface waters, and weaker winds - all conditions that echo the past extremes we studied," said Tirumalai.
The new study is a collaboration between scientists from US, India, and Europe.
Another study, from researchers at the Central University of Kerala published last week, came up with similar findings through the analysis of sediments from the Andaman Sea as well as the Bay of Bengal.
(With TOI inputs)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
Good oil has its limits too: Why olive oil may be expanding your waistline, one fat cell at a time
Olive oil has long been hailed as a golden elixir of health, praised by Mediterranean diets and wellness gurus alike. But a new study has stirred the pot — and your salad dressing — by revealing a surprising link between olive oil and weight gain. Published in Cell Reports , the research claims that oleic acid, the dominant monounsaturated fat in olive oil, could actually fuel the growth of fat cells — and potentially, your waistline. Led by Michael Rudolph, assistant professor of biochemistry and physiology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, the study dives into how different types of fats affect the body. And the findings are anything but bland. Meet the 'Fat Cell Soldiers' That Olive Oil Might Be Recruiting In a controlled study using mice, Rudolph and his team fed diets high in various fats — from coconut oil to soybean oil — to see how they impacted the body. But only one fat stood out: oleic acid. This compound, abundant in olive oil and processed foods, triggered an increase in the body's 'fat cell soldiers,' or precursor fat cells. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like A neuropatia tem atrapalhado sua rotina? Esse aparelho está ajudando os idosos a ter mais alivio A arte do herbalismo Undo According to Rudolph, oleic acid stimulates a protein called AKT2 while suppressing another called LXR, both of which regulate fat storage. The result? More fat cells ready to store dietary nutrients — and a greater capacity for weight gain. 'If the excess nutrients overtake the number of fat cells, obesity can occur,' Rudolph warned. 'That can then lead to cardiovascular disease or diabetes if not controlled.' iStock Olive oil may be slimming in moderation, but too much could expand your waistline. (Representational image: iStock) Don't Ditch Your Olive Oil Bottle Just Yet Before you throw your olive oil out with the bathwater, there's a crucial caveat. The researchers stress that real-world diets are more complex — no one eats isolated fats in a lab setting. Plus, olive oil still boasts numerous health benefits: it's rich in antioxidants, supports brain function, improves heart health, and has even been linked to reduced cancer and dementia risk. You Might Also Like: No supplements needed: Longevity doctor shares the one daily nutrient that could add years to your life The problem isn't olive oil itself — it's the quantity and context in which it's consumed. Diets dominated by ultra-processed foods rich in oleic acid could tilt the balance. 'Moderation is key,' Rudolph said. 'Relatively balanced levels of oleic acid seem to be beneficial, but higher and prolonged levels may be detrimental.' Olive Oil is Still the Good Guy — Just Not the Only Guy In a world obsessed with 'superfoods,' this study is a wake-up call that even healthy ingredients have their limits. Olive oil remains a nutritional powerhouse — but when consumed in excess or combined with unhealthy food habits, it might be helping your fat cells multiply behind the scenes. So, yes — drizzle that olive oil over your salad. Just don't drown in it. You Might Also Like: Stanford scientists reveal simple dinner hack to stay slim and it starts with what you eat first Olive oil is not always healthy: Here is what you are not being told, nutritionists warn Trying to lose weight? Expert says changing this morning habit can make a big difference
United News of India
an hour ago
- United News of India
AX-4 ISS mission piloted by Indian astronaut deferred to June 11 due to adverse weather
Chennai, June 9 (UNI) Axiom Mission 4 to International Space Station (ISS), piloted by decorated Indian Astronaut Subhanshu Shukla and three other crew from US, Hungary and Poland, was deferred by a day to June 11 due to adverse weather conditions. The Mission was scheduled for take off aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the ISS tomorrow morning. The mission that involved docking in ISS for 14 days after a 28 hour flight journey to conduct various experiments, was postponed to June 11, citing bad weather. Confirming this, Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh posted on X, due to adverse weather, the launch of the Axiom-4 mission carrying Indian Gaganytri to the ISS is rescheduldd from June 10 to possibly June 11, 2025 and further update, if any, will be shared. Meanwhile, Space X in a social media post, said "SpaceX is targeting Wednesday, June 11 for Falcon-9's launch of Axiom Space's Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch is targeted for 8:00 a.m. ET, with a backup opportunity available on Thursday, June 12 at 7:37 a.m. ET. A live webcast of this mission will begin about two hours prior to liftoff, it said. This is the first flight for the Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission. This will be the second flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched a Starlink mission. Following stage separation, Falcon 9's first stage will land on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. During their time on the orbiting laboratory, the crew will conduct more than 60 scientific experiments and demonstrations focused on human research, Earth observation, and life, biological, and material sciences. MORE UNI GV 2037
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's mission to International Space Station postponed once again
The launch of Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's mission to the International Space Station (ISS) has once again been postponed. The Axiom-4 Mission to the ISS, which was scheduled on June 10 at 8.22 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) from Launch Complex 39A at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, has been postponed to June 11 due to weather conditions. 'Due to weather conditions, the launch of Axiom-4 mission for sending Indian Gaganyatri to International Space Station is postponed from 10th June 2025 to 11th June 2025. The targeted time of launch is 5:30 p.m. IST on 11th June 2025,' ISRO said in a post on X attributing it to ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan. Group Captain Shukla's mission to ISS was scheduled to be launched on June 8 however it was postponed to June 10. Now targeting no earlier than Wednesday, June 11 for Falcon 9 to launch @Axiom_Space's Ax-4 mission to the @Space_Station due to high winds in the ascent corridor → — SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 9, 2025 As per the earlier plan the crew was scheduled to dock to the space station on June 11 at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET. Once docked, the Ax-4 astronauts will spend about 14 days aboard the space station conducting microgravity research, technology demonstrations, and outreach events. Group Captain Shukla will be the pilot of the Ax-4, and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson will command the commercial mission. European Space Agency project astronauts Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, are also part of the crew. The Ax-4 crew, which is currently in quarantine. This is the third time the launch has been rescheduled.
