MAPUSA
The prolonged dry spell and erratic rainfall during this year's southwest monsoon could have implications for Goa's marine ecosystem, with experts warning that changes in weather patterns may affect plankton growth, fish food availability and the distribution of marine species.
Director of Fisheries Shamila Monteiro said deficient rainfall can influence several ecological processes that sustain marine life.
“It could have an impact on phytoplankton blooms and plankton cycles will change. It could have an effect on the food of the fish. Even the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has indicated that El Niño could have some impact on fish catches in southern India,” Monteiro said.
She, however, stressed that it was too early to draw conclusions, as much would depend on how the remaining monsoon season unfolds. “We will have to wait and watch how the monsoon pans out in the remaining one-and-a-half months. If the monsoon improves, the fisheries sector will also have its own response,” she added.
Impact on fish
Former India Meteorological Department (IMD) and National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) scientist Dr Ramesh Kumar said weather anomalies and rising temperatures directly influence marine life.
“Whenever there are weather-related changes, it affects the fish. They may die or migrate to cooler waters where conditions are more favourable for survival. They either move to deeper parts of the sea or shift to cooler regions,” Kumar said.
With Goa witnessing prolonged breaks in rainfall during what is normally one of the wettest months of the year, experts say sustained weather variability could alter marine food chains and fish distribution if the trend continues.
