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
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla on cusp of history to become second Indian in space
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla stands on the cusp of history as he prepares to set off on a space odyssey, marking India's return to space flight 41 years after his idol Rakesh Sharma orbited the earth for eight days as part of Soviet Union's Interkosmos programme. Lucknow-born Shukla, who goes by the call sign 'Shuks', is part of an ISRO-NASA supported commercial spaceflight by Axiom Space which is expected to lift off for a 14-day sojourn to the International Space Station from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Wednesday evening. A Group Captain in the Indian Air Force, Shukla was selected to be part of India's astronaut corps in 2019 along with fellow officers Prasanth Balkrishnan Nair, Angad Pratap and Ajit Krishnan for the Gaganyaan mission which is likely to be launched in 2027. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Mini House for 60 sqm for Seniors with Toilet and Bath (Click Here) Pre Fabricated Homes | Search Ads Search Now Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Shukla did his schooling from City Montessori School before joining the National Defence Academy. He was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2006, and has over 2,000 hours of flying time on a wide range of aircraft including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Jaguar, and Dornier-228. Live Events He holds an MTech in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. Shukla and the three other Gaganyaan astronaut designates underwent extensive training at Russia's Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre and ISRO 's Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru. Shukla's crewmates on the Axiom-4 mission, commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, describe him as "operational-savvy", "focussed" and "wicked smart" when it comes to space technologies. "This is not just my journey; this is the journey of 1.4 billion Indians. Even if this story can change one life or inspire one young person, it will be a success," Shukla said in a press interaction ahead of the launch. Shukla's travel to space marks India's return to human spaceflight 41 years after Rakesh Sharma scripted history by undertaking a journey to space onboard Soviet Russia's Soyuz spacecraft in 1984. In Lucknow, Shukla's City Montessori School (CMS) has planned a "public watch party" to celebrate his spaceflight. Several hoardings have come up across the city congratulating 'Shuks' for his spaceflight. CMS has set up giant screens to relay the SpaceX launch live with NASA/Axiom commentary. "We are eagerly looking forward to the launch. Shuks is incredibly focused yet brimming with joy'," Suchi Mishra, Shukla's sister, said in Lucknow. During the 14-day stay at the ISS, the Ax-4 crew is expected to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, school students, and space industry leaders, among others. Shukla is set to conduct exclusive food and nutrition-related experiments developed under a collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from NASA . The experiments aim to pioneer space nutrition and self-sustaining life support systems vital for future long-duration space travel. ISRO has lined up a set of seven experiments for Shukla, who will also participate in five joint studies planned by NASA for its human research program. It has drawn up plans to focus on India-centric food for carrying out experiments on the ISS, including sprouting methi (fenugreek) and moong (green gram) in microgravity conditions. Shukla will also expose the seeds to the macrobiotic conditions and bring them back to earth where they will be cultivated into plants not just once but over generations. Shukla's experience on the Axiom Mission 4 would be very well utilised on the ISRO's Gaganyaan space flight mission which is planned for 2027. ISRO is spending Rs 550 crore on the Axiom-4 mission.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
14-Year-Old Siddharth Nandyala Develops AI App To Detect Heart Disease In 7 Seconds
Last Updated: 15,000 American and 3,500 Indian patients in clinical trials proved the app's accuracy exceeding 96%, showcasing its global potential A 14-year-old boy from Texas has astonished the medical community with his groundbreaking invention of an app that can detect heart disease in just 7 seconds. According to the New York Post, Siddharth Nandyala from Frisco has developed Circadian AI, a smartphone app that can identify early symptoms of heart disease with remarkable accuracy. By placing the smartphone near the chest, the app records the heartbeat, removes background noise, and uses a cloud-based machine learning model to analyse the data. It is capable of detecting conditions such as arrhythmia, heart failure, coronary artery disease, and valve problems. Siddharth, a student at the University of Texas, aims to revolutionise the health sector with the help of artificial intelligence. He gathered data from hospitals in the US and India and refined the app in collaboration with medical professionals. Clinical trials involving 15,000 American and 3,500 Indian patients demonstrated the app's impressive accuracy of over 96%. Currently, the app is intended for use by trained medical personnel and serves as a pre-screening tool rather than a replacement for traditional methods like EKG. Cardiologists have praised Siddharth's innovation, particularly for its potential in areas with limited healthcare facilities. This innovation addresses a critical need, as heart disease accounts for approximately 32% of global deaths. According to Dr. Jamila Ahmed of Louisiana State University, 'Early potential diagnosis in patients who cannot access medical care can save their lives," underscoring the immense potential of Siddharth's work. This isn't Siddharth's first foray into impactful innovation. A computer science student at the University of Texas, he previously created a low-cost prosthetic arm and founded STEM IT, a startup providing science-technology kits for students. His contributions have garnered significant recognition, including a Certificate of Recognition from the US House of Representatives and a congratulatory letter from then-President Joe Biden. Looking ahead, Siddharth aims to expand his app's capabilities to identify lung diseases such as pneumonia and pulmonary embolism. 'I want to bring a change that makes the world better, where innovators can step out of their comfort zone and do something big," he said. First Published: June 10, 2025, 19:36 IST
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
Not Just Weather, Even Rocket Issues May Delay Shubhanshu Shukla's Space Foray
All eyes will be on the sky tomorrow as the rocket carrying Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, and a billion Indian hopes, lifts off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday. Group Captain Shukla will be only the second Indian in space - after Rakesh Sharma more than three decades ago - and the excitement is palpable, but it has already been dampened slightly because the mission has been postponed four times. Top experts working on the Axiom-4 mission, which is a landmark NASA-ISRO collaboration and is being led by the private company Axiom Space, have now hinted that there could be further delays because the weather could play spoilsport and, more importantly, some issues are still being fixed in the Space X Falcon-9 rocket which is being used for the launch. Addressing the Mission Readiness Review Conference in the early hours of Tuesday (India time), in which the fourth postponement to Wednesday at 5.30 pm IST (8am ET) was announced, Axiom Space, SpaceX and NASA officials as well as the launch weather officer briefed reporters about various aspects of the mission to the International Space Station, and what has been causing the delays. Allen Flynt, Chief of Mission Services, Axiom Space, said the crew - Veteran US Astronaut and mission Commander Peggy Whitson, Group Captain Shukla, who is the pilot for the mission, and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary - have all exceeded the required training to ensure mission safety, scientific excellence and operational excellence. "Yesterday, the crew successfully completed a dry run that confirmed our systems, teams, and procedures are ready to support the launch," Mr Flynt said. Liquid Oxygen Leak, Thruster Issue William Gerstenmaier, Vice-President for Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX, however, said a liquid oxygen leak had been detected in the booster that was seen during its entry on its last mission. The leak had either not been fully repaired or not found, and troubleshooting is on. "Human spaceflight is really core to SpaceX's ultimate mission, and flying crews safely is always our top priority. Spaceflight is really hard, and we're learning every day. The more we fly, the more we learn," Mr Gerstenmaier said. Stating that the dry run had been successful, he said a "few things" had been discovered during static fire, which is when an engine or multiple engines of a rocket are fired while it is still secured to the launch mount. "We found a LOX (liquid oxygen) leak that we had previously seen on this booster during its entry on its last mission, and discovered that we had not fully repaired the booster during refurbishment, or we actually didn't find the leak and didn't get it corrected. We have now gone out to the launch pad. We're continuing to troubleshoot that," the SpaceX official said. Reassuringly, he added, "We should get that completed today, and we will have that back in configuration. And we are installing a purge that will essentially mitigate the leak if it still continues if we see it on launch day. So we will be fully ready to go fly." Mr Gerstenmaier also said an issue had been detected with the thrust vector control, which helps the rocket manoeuvre. "We also discovered an engine five thrust vector control problem, and we're going to change out the components associated with that. In fact, they're already changed out now. And we'll be complete with all our work this evening, and we'll be ready to support launch as early as tomorrow," he said. "Again, I think this shows the difficulty of getting ready. You can always be prepared, but doing the testing, doing the dry runs, doing the activities with the crew to make sure we are really ready is tremendously important because we always learn something," he pointed out. The emphasis, the SpaceX official said, is on ensuring the flight is a safe one. "And I think one of the benefits of flying frequently and having a fleet of spacecraft is that it gives us the opportunity to review data regularly, and it allows us to look for data, look for small things, find things, improve things, and continue to fly safe. I think when you start assuming things are easy and you stop looking and you start just assuming things will go well, that's when trouble occurs, and we're not in that mode. We're continuing to learn and make sure that we are really ready to go fly," he stressed. Weather Concerns The weather in Florida, where the launch is going to be held, has been unpredictable and has been cited as the main reason for the delay from Sunday to Tuesday and now Wednesday - with Thursday being kept as a backup. This was summed up best by Jimmy Taeger, Launch Weather Officer, 45th Weather Squadron, US Space Force, who said at the conference, "It's always fun forecasting in central Florida." "It's quite dicey sometimes. So basically for the morning time period on Wednesday the 11th and also Thursday the 12th, there's just a possibility of seeing some isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms. Typically with the pattern that's going to be set up, we can sometimes have showers and thunderstorms right off the coast first in the mornings, and then later in the day, they tend to push further inland with the sea breeze," he said. "So there's a possibility that some could be just off the coast. It could also be right over the launch pad, which is why there's also that flight through precipitation risk, but it doesn't look like it's going to be widespread. So the POV, that probability violation number, is on the lower end, 20% for Wednesday the 11th and 25% for Thursday the 12th," he added. The winds, Mr Taeger said are pretty strong for the ascent corridor but are expected to weaken. "So that does look better by Wednesday and especially into Thursday, and our precipitation and lightning risk is just going to continue because we have a stalled boundary that's pretty close to where the ascent corridor is, and there's just going to be some lingering showers and thunderstorms. So it will depend upon when it gets closer... but it doesn't look like that boundary is going to go anywhere at this time," he predicted. Musk-Trump Tussle Impact? SpaceX's William Gerstenmaier was also asked whether the very public fallout between US President Donald Trump and the company's founder and CEO Elon Musk would have an impact on the mission, given that it is supplying both the Falcon-9 rocket and the Dragon capsule - which will carry the crew - being used, and he answered that they are focused on the job at hand. "In this environment, it's tremendously important for us to really stay focused on this mission. You know, I described to you how hard these missions are, and when you get complacent and you assume it's easy, problems can occur," he said. "With this Axiom mission, we absolutely need to avoid a lot of this stuff that's happening on the outside and really stay focused on what we're doing today and keep the teams focused on looking at the vehicles, looking at the procedures, looking at the process, make sure that this international crew can have a great time on board the International Space Station, do tremendous science and research, and return safely home to their families," he stressed.
