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We present the first spatially resolved (~0.5 kpc) measurements of themolecular gas depletion time $\tau_{depl}$ across the disk of the interactingspiral galaxy NGC\,2276, a system with an asymmetric morphology in various SFRtracers. To estimate $\tau_{depl}$, we use new NOEMA observations of the$^{12}$CO(1-0) emission tracing the bulk molecular gas reservoir in NGC 2276,and extinction-corrected H$\alpha$ measurements obtained with the PMAS/PPaKintegral field unit for robust estimates of the SFR. We find a systematicdecrease in $\tau_{depl}$ of 1-1.5 dex across the disk of NGC 2276, with afurther, abrupt drop in $\tau_{depl}$ of ~1 dex along the galaxy's westernedge. The global $\tau_{depl}$ in NGC 2776 is $\tau_{depl}=0.55$ Gyr, insistentwith literature measurements for the nearby galaxy population. Such a largerange in $\tau_{depl}$ on sub-kpc scales has never previously been observedwithin an individual isolated or pre-merger system. When using ametallicity-dependent molecular gas conversion factor X$\rm_{CO}$ the variationdecreases by 0.5 dex. We attribute the variation in $\tau_{depl}$ to theinfluence of galactic-scale tidal forces and ram pressure on NGC 2276'smolecular interstellar medium (ISM). Our observations add to the growing bodyof numerical and observational evidence that galaxy-galaxy interactionssignificantly modify the molecular gas properties and star-forming activitywithin galactic disks throughout the interaction, and not just during the finalmerger phase.

Two Orders of Magnitude Variation in the Star Formation Efficiency Across the Pre-Merger Galaxy NGC 2276