Research

Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences

Title :

Reconstruction of the paleo-ocean acidification and water column structure using aragonite and calcite zooplankton from the north-eastern Indian Ocean

Area of research :

Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences

Focus area :

Geology

Principal Investigator :

Dr. sijinKumar AV, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod, Kerala

Timeline Start Year :

2024

Timeline End Year :

2027

Contact info :

Details

Executive Summary :

The geological record provides long-term evidence for climatic and oceanographic variability, including physical, chemical, and biological signatures. Understanding ocean acidification and future trends requires past knowledge of ocean acidification. Pteropod shells in sediments can provide valuable information by incorporating geochemical signatures from their habitat and indicating the physical and chemical conditions of their habitat. Recent findings have increased interest in studying aragonite shell preservation due to its vulnerability to human-impacted water column chemistry changes. The Indian Ocean's pH is controlled by seasonal processes during the monsoon, such as ocean warming, dissolved oxygen depletion, freshwater runoff, biological productivity, and formation of oxygen minimum zones (OMZ). The thermohaline circulation also affects water chemistry in the Indian Ocean. Compiling records on pteropods from the northeastern Indian Ocean will help assess the variability of processes and effects. Understanding the impacts of changes in ocean chemistry is vital as ocean acidification may directly or indirectly affect many organisms and ecosystems, which may hold significant economic value to the Indian community.

Total Budget (INR):

34,79,560

Organizations involved