01-05 December 2025
INCOIS, Hyderabad, India.
| Abstract Submission No. | ABS-02-0225 |
| Title of Abstract | A scientific examination of the link between Indian mackerel and sardines from the southwest coast of India: Are they actually related? |
| Authors | Sneha Jha*, Surya Datta Sudhakar, Sudheer Joseph, T. M. Balakrishnan Nair |
| Organisation | Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) |
| Address | ESSO- Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) Hyderabad, Telangana, India Pincode: 500090 E-mail: s.jha-p@incois.gov.in |
| Country | India |
| Presentation | Oral |
| Abstract | Indian mackerel and sardines are the two important small pelagic fish species that support crucial marine capture fisheries along the southwest coast of India. Decoding the influence of the environmental drivers on their populations and potential interspecific relationships is critical for their sustainable management. This study examines the long-term relationship between the catches of Indian mackerel (MC) and sardines (SC) and various oceanic environmental parameters in the Malabar upwelling region and along the coasts of Karnataka (KA) and Kerala (KE), in the southeast Arabian Sea. The analysis reveals peculiar patterns for catches and conspicuous differences in the response of both species to environmental variables like rainfall, mixed layer depth, seawater temperature at the surface, and depth of 50 m. The study also explores their relationship with the productive frontal zones. These results imply that the population dynamics of the two species are mostly linked by their response to external forces, even if they inhabit the same ecosystem, and a substantial direct ecological relation between the two species may not be that exclusive. This study also demonstrates the importance of the response of commercially important small pelagic species to changes in their habitat to manage fisheries and ecosystems in highly productive coastal waters. |
| Are you part of IIOE-2 endorsed project | no |
| Keywords | Indian mackerel, sardines, small pelagic, southeast Arabian sea, environmental drivers, delayed environmental effects, correlation heatmaps, ecosystem-based approaches |
| For Awards | yes |
| Date Of Birth | 19-11-1984 |
| ECSN Registration Number | IIOE2-ECSN-0145 |