PJB-2018-934
Dust storms add in blooming of phytoplankton, tiny wanderer plants as food-chain, over Arabian sea: a research study
Nayyer Alam Zaigham, Tanveer Alam, Gohar Ali Mahar and Zeeshan Alam Nayyar
Abstract
Geologically, climatologically and biodiversity-wise, Arabian Sea and Oman Gulf are unique from many other marine basins, where tiny-floating or drifting marine plants, phytoplankton, distinctly grow. Phytoplanktons are important because they serve as foundation of food chain sustaining the marine life. It was generally considered that the available incoming sunlight and the periodic phenomena of seawater upwelling from deeper depths provide essential nutrients for survival of phytoplanktons. An integrated research study is conducted to evaluate controlling factors for typical phytoplankton blooming based on analyses of satellite images of different periods related to dust-sandstorms, geotectonic-setup & submarine configuration, atmospheric-aerosol, sun-glittering and phytoplankton-bloom. It was observed that satellite images consistently reflected varying-pattern of phytoplankton-growth indicating dependence on number of multiple-factors. Results revealed that tropical cycles, dust-sandstorms, atmospheric-aerosol and prevailing-monsoons in Arabian Sea affect the levels of incoming sunlight and available nutrients impacting on phytoplankton growth within surface seawaters. It was also deduced that the dust-sandstorms carry iron, phosphorite and other minerals rich-particles from surrounding unique geological land regions, e.g., Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Arabian Peninsula serving as source of essential nutrients; and also control light-levels affecting photosynthesis processes in addition to monsoon-clouds, which collectively effect the phytoplankton-growth. Moreover, it was observed that submarine tectonic exotic features, e.g., Owen Fracture-Zone Ridge, Murray-Ridge, abyssal plains, Indus submarine fan, dynamic eddy-currents as well as cyclones affect growth and dispersal-trends of phytoplankton in Arabian Sea too.
To Cite this article:
Zaigham, N.A., T. Alam, G.A. Mahar and Z.A. Nayyar. 2021. Dust storms add in blooming of phytoplankton, tiny wanderer plants as food-chain, over Arabian sea: a research study based on temporal satellite images. Pak. J. Bot., 53(4): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2021-4(8)
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