Why is it in the news?
- ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) study reveals that MHWs since October 2023 have caused severe coral bleaching in the Lakshadweep Sea due to changes in ocean currents and excessive heat transfer into the atmosphere.
| · Coral bleaching occurs when corals lose their vibrant colours and turn white due to changes in temperature, light, or nutrients. |
About MHWs
- MHWs are defined as seawater temperatures exceeding a seasonally-varying threshold (usually the 90th percentile) for at least 5 consecutive days. They can last for weeks, months, or even years.
- MHWs can lead to extreme weather events like tropical storms and hurricanes, reduction in monsoon rainfall over Central India, migration of native species to cooler waters, thriving of invasive species, toxic algal blooms due to higher temperatures and water deoxygenation, livelihood loss from increased mortality of economically important species, and biodiversity and habitat loss due to food web disruption.
| Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)- Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI)
· ICAR-CMFRI, established in 1947 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, joined ICAR in 1967. · Headquartered in Kochi, Kerala, it has emerged as a leading tropical marine fisheries research institute globally. · It monitors and assesses marine fisheries resources of the Exclusive Economic Zone, including the impact of climate and anthropogenic activity, and serves as a repository of geo-spatial information on marine fishery resources and habitats. |
