New Delhi, Sept. 10 -- The number of marine heatwave days in the Indian Ocean region could increase from the current average of 20 days to over 220 days annually by the end of the century, posing a serious threat to coral reef ecosystems, fisheries, and the livelihoods of coastal communities, Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), cautioned today.
He was addressing the 48th Annual Conference on Oceans Law and Policy (COLP48), held under the theme "Developing World Approaches to Ocean Governance: Perspectives from the Indian Ocean Rim."Dr. Ravichandran noted that despite the oceans covering nearly 70 per cent of the Earth's surface, only 5 per cent has been fully explored, underlining the urgent need to enhance o...