| Description: |
This chapter describes the productivity of the Indian Ocean from the two extremes of the food web: phytoplankton and fisheries. The spatial distribution and temporal variability of primary productivity, from regional to basin-scale and seasonal to interannual, were quantified using satellite ocean color. No long-term secular trends were evident in either chlorophyll concentration or the expanse of low-chlorophyll waters. Using a relatively recent, climate-quality chlorophyll data product, the previously observed phenomenon of elevated chlorophyll in the eastern Indian Ocean during a positive Indian Ocean Dipole was confirmed. The fisheries analysis was divided into coastal regions—north, east, west and the open ocean tuna fisheries. The analysis covered the status of fisheries, their socio-economic importance, and vulnerability to climate change. Models predict reductions in primary productivity and continued warming, which are likely to undermine fisheries and livelihoods of the coastal communities, as well as driving spatial shifts in tuna fisheries. |