After examining 22,000 years of rainfall patterns, Rutgers researchers warn that climate conditions may reduce fish stock.
After examining 22,000 years of rainfall patterns, Rutgers researchers warn that climate conditions may reduce fish stock.
New research involving Rutgers professors has revealed that expected, extreme changes in India’s summer monsoon could drastically hamper the Bay of Bengal’s ability to support a crucial element of the region’s food supply: marine life.
The study, published in Nature Geoscience, was conducted by scientists from Rutgers University, the University of Arizona and collaborators from India, China and Europe. To reach their conclusions, the scientists examined how the monsoon, which brings heavy rains to the Indian subcontinent, has influenced the Bay of Bengal’s marine productivity over the past 22,000 years.
Although the Bay of Bengal covers less than 1% of the global ocean, it supplies nearly 8% of the world’s fishery production. Its coastal waters support densely populated regions that rely heavily on marine resources for food and livelihoods.
Read more at Rutgers University
Image: Although the Bay of Bengal covers less than 1% of the global ocean, it supplies nearly 8% of the world’s fishery production. Scientists are looking to the past to predict the effect of monsoons on future marine life there. (Credit: Kate Littler/International Ocean Discovery Program)
