Open AccessResearch Opportunities and Challenges in the Indian Ocean
Author(s) -
Hood Raleigh,
Naqvi Wajih,
Wiggert Jerry,
Goes Joaquim,
Coles Victoria,
McCreary Julian,
Bates Nicholas,
Karuppasamy P. K.,
Mahowald Natalie,
Seitzinger Sybil,
Meyers Gary
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2008eo130001
Subject(s) - biogeochemical cycle , trophic level , oceanography , indian ocean , ocean current , environmental science , ocean observations , ecology , geology , biology
The Indian Ocean is a dynamically complex and highly variable system, with circulation features and biogeochemical properties that are unusual in many respects. Yet the Indian Ocean (IO) remains one of the most undersampled and least understood of the world's ocean basins. In this article, we define several outstanding research questions that need to be addressed in the IO related to ocean currents and variability, the controls and fate of primary production, global change and anthropogenic impacts, and the role of higher trophic levels in ecological processes and biogeochemical cycles. We also discuss a unique opportunity that has recently arisen for staging research in the IO.