Physical forcing of biological productivity in the Northern Arabian Sea during the Northeast Monsoon

Abstract

Time-series observations at a nominally fixed location in the northern Arabian Sea (21°N, 64°E) during the Northeast Monsoon (winter, February) of l997 showed the prevalence of cold sea-surface temperatures (SST) and deep mixed layers resulting from winter cooling and convection. The covariation of nitrate concentrations in the surface layers and concentrations of chlorophyll a and primary production in the euphotic zone with mixed-layer depth (MLD) and wind suggests that carbon fixation was controlled primarily by physical forcing. Cooler waters during winter 1997 relative to winter 1995 were associated with deeper MLDs, higher nitrate concentrations, elevated primary productivity, and higher chlorophyll a concentrations, leading to the inference that even a 1°C decrease in SST could lead to significantly higher primary productivity. Satellite data on sea surface temperature (advanced very high-resolution radiometer; AVHRR) and TOPEX/POSElDON altimeter data suggest that this interannual variation is of basin-wide spatial scale. After the termination of winter cooling and subsequent warming during the Spring Intermonsoon, the Arabian Sea has low primary production. During the latter period, micro-organisms, i.e. heterotrophic bacteria and microzooplankton)-proliferate, a feeding mode through the microbial loop that appears to be inherent to mesozooplankton for sustaining their biomass throughout the year in this region.