Hydrography of the Laccadives offshore waters

Abstract

The importance of the waters around the Laccadives ' with their special ecological conditions and their influence on the adjacent coastal waters of the mainland of India' has been indicated in an interesting review of the oceanographical investigations in the eastern section of the Arabian Sea by Jones (1959). The Laccadives region is particularly interesting to the oceanographer, because of the presence of the submarine ridge—the Laccadives-Chagos Ridge—which has a great influence on the circulation of the water masses in this part of the Indian Ocean. The ridge contributes, to some extent, to the enrichment of the upper waters of the mid-ocean as has been suggested by Cooper (1957). . To the fishery investigator, this region is equally interesting, as it is known to support a rich fishery, particularly of the pelagic type. A detailed hydrographic survey of this region is, therefore, considered necessary as it would help to throw light on several problems of oceanographical and fishery interest.