General articles are free for 24 hours after publish.
Upwelling and El Niño Coincide, Boosting Indonesian Fish Catches?
An upwelling phenomenon, ongoing since June in southern Indonesia, is occurring simultaneously with El Niño. This is expected to increase fish catches as nutrients from the deep sea rise to the surface, fostering plankton growth and creating feeding grounds for fish.
An upwelling phenomenon, observed in southern Indonesia since June, is coinciding with the El Niño event, potentially leading to increased fish catches. According to Widodo Setiyo Pranomo, a senior researcher in applied oceanography at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), upwelling is occurring in areas such as the Java-Bali-Nusa Tenggara Sea, Savu Sea, and Timor Sea. Upwelling is a natural process that brings nutrient-rich deep seawater to the surface. This fuels the proliferation of phytoplankton, the foundation of the marine food web, attracting small and large pelagic fish for feeding. Pranomo explains that this significantly boosts fisheries productivity. Signs of upwelling include decreased sea surface temperature, increased water salinity, upward currents, and elevated chlorophyll concentrations, all indicating the rise of nutrients to the surface. "When upwelling occurs, fish, both small and large pelagic species, will flock to these areas to find food. This condition is important because fisheries productivity increases sharply," he told Mongabay Indonesia on Sunday (19/7/26). Currently, the intensity of the upwelling is weak to moderate, and its spatial distribution is not yet uniform, despite being observed using oceanographic parameters. The areas where upwelling has occurred are expanding to the southern and southeastern Banda Sea, the Arafura Sea, waters west of Sumatra to the Andaman Sea, and the Makassar Strait, heading towards... El Niño is a phenomenon characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, impacting weather patterns globally. While El Niño typically brings drier conditions to Indonesia, its combination with upwelling in coastal areas could have specific effects on marine ecosystems. Further detailed observation and analysis are awaited to understand the precise impact of this simultaneous occurrence on Indonesian fisheries, particularly coastal fishing communities. Source: Mongabay Indonesia
Original source
Mongabay Indonesia