Impact of climate change on marine plankton with special reference to Indian Seas

Abstract

The seas surrounding India, namely Arabian Sea (AS) and Bay of Bengal (BoB) with their associated coastal embayments form one of the highly productive areas and biodiversity hotspots in the tropics contributing profusely to the socio-economic front of the region. Therefore, acquiring knowledge on the climate change scenario of this region and its impacts on marine ecosystems in general and planktons, in particular, is considered crucial for better resilience. In fact, several attempts have been made of late to understand the climate change impacts on plankton, corals and mangroves of this region. In this article, we tried to update the climate change scenario of Indian seas and its impact on plankton communities based on the information gathered from the peer reviewed publications and scientific reports. Results of this review have shown that the global warming generated SST (Sea Surface Temperature) rise and sea water acidification related pH fall have affected the species composition, abundance, phenology and metabolic pathways of plankton populations in this region.