Characteristics of Mudbanks along the Southwest Coast of India

Abstract

Mudbank is a unique phenomenon observed along the south-west coast of India among all the Indian coastal regions during the Southwest Monsoon Season. The scientific reasons behind the formation and its persistence are vague. Mudbank is considered as a boon to the fishermen of Kerala, as they are getting reasonable catches during the occurrence of mudbanks using indigenous boats from the calm sea, which otherwise is in a fury during the rough Southwest Monsoon Season. Since the region, the Arabian Sea, is significant as a carbon sink due to its very high productivity because of different coastal ocean features, variations in the smaller and highly restricted coastal processes due to climate change can have a significant impact on the rates of global warming. Here, we consolidate the previous publications on various aspects of mudbanks with the reports of the occurrence of mudbanks on the south-west coast of India. A model for the prediction of the formation and location of mudbanks, inclusive of all the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters involved, through an extensive study is much relevant as far as the socio-economic and food security significance is concerned. Here, we discuss the most conducive factors for the formation of mudbank and its characteristics with special reference to Alappuzha, where the frequency of occurrence of mudbanks is maximum among the Indian coastal regions.