Development of new production algorithm in the northern Indian Ocean and observation of enhanced productivity using satellite remote sensing

The study assessed the seasonal and inter-annual variability of new production in the northern Indian Ocean (NIO) utilizing MODIS-Aqua satellite data during 2011–2020. The generated new production images are based on sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a data, processed and analysed using the developed and validated empirical algorithm using in-situ datasets. The analysis focused on the Arabian Sea (AS) and Bay of Bengal (BoB), examining the seasonal changes. Data processing involved two approaches: first, using only SST, and second, incorporating chlorophyll-a data along with SST. The findings reveal higher new production uptake in the northern region during the winter, contrasting with the southern region, where uptake rates peak in the summer. Both AS and BoB generally exhibit lower productivity in the spring. The AS exhibits greater productivity than the BoB. This is mainly due to higher production in the summer (1.8 µmol N m−2d−1) and winter (1.7 µmol N m−2d−1), along with stronger downward fluxes associated with the deep mixed layer.