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The Bay of Bengal (BoB), one of the world’s largest tropical marine ecosystems, comprises 29 distinct ecological regions and its hydrobiology is shaped by both natural and anthropogenic influences. Major natural drivers include substantial riverine inflow, monsoonal currents, cyclones, sea-level rise, and climate variability, while human pressures such as deforestation, industrial pollution, overexploitation, shipbuilding and aquaculture further impact the marine ecosystem. Monsoonal dynamics strongly regulate primary production, generating phytoplankton hotspots with chlorophyll-a concentrations up to 22.7 mg m⁻³ and carbon fixation rates of 3852 mg C m⁻³ d⁻¹ in nearshore waters. These productive zones coincide with Potential Fishing Zones (PFZs), which significantly support the blue economy. Despite the presence of 485 recorded seaweed species, their economic potential remains largely untapped. Mangrove ecosystems spanning approximately 4992 km² across the Sundarbans, Odisha, Coringa, Pichavaram, and the Andaman–Nicobar Islands sustain diverse fauna but are increasingly degraded. Similarly, coral reefs—harboring 179 species in the Andaman–Nicobar Islands and 31 in the Gulf of Mannar—are threatened by recurrent bleaching. National research and development institutions, including CIBA, CMFRI, and MPEDA, have advanced aquaculture, oyster and finfish farming, and seaweed cultivation, with more than 400 hatcheries currently engaged in Litopenaeus vannamei culture in particular. To enhance blue economy initiatives, this study recommends (1) regionally relevant environmental education, (2) integrative understanding of ecosystem–economy linkages, (3) regular environmental impact assessments, (4) adoption of integrated coastal zone management, and (5) community empowerment for participatory governance.

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A Review of the Blue Economy of the Coastal Bay of Bengal—Status, Potentials, and Challenges

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年

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  • Subba Rao Venkata Durvasula,
  • Ram Mohan Rao Ponnapalli,
  • Suman Keerthi

摘要

The Bay of Bengal (BoB), one of the world’s largest tropical marine ecosystems, comprises 29 distinct ecological regions and its hydrobiology is shaped by both natural and anthropogenic influences. Major natural drivers include substantial riverine inflow, monsoonal currents, cyclones, sea-level rise, and climate variability, while human pressures such as deforestation, industrial pollution, overexploitation, shipbuilding and aquaculture further impact the marine ecosystem. Monsoonal dynamics strongly regulate primary production, generating phytoplankton hotspots with chlorophyll-a concentrations up to 22.7 mg m⁻³ and carbon fixation rates of 3852 mg C m⁻³ d⁻¹ in nearshore waters. These productive zones coincide with Potential Fishing Zones (PFZs), which significantly support the blue economy. Despite the presence of 485 recorded seaweed species, their economic potential remains largely untapped. Mangrove ecosystems spanning approximately 4992 km² across the Sundarbans, Odisha, Coringa, Pichavaram, and the Andaman–Nicobar Islands sustain diverse fauna but are increasingly degraded. Similarly, coral reefs—harboring 179 species in the Andaman–Nicobar Islands and 31 in the Gulf of Mannar—are threatened by recurrent bleaching. National research and development institutions, including CIBA, CMFRI, and MPEDA, have advanced aquaculture, oyster and finfish farming, and seaweed cultivation, with more than 400 hatcheries currently engaged in Litopenaeus vannamei culture in particular. To enhance blue economy initiatives, this study recommends (1) regionally relevant environmental education, (2) integrative understanding of ecosystem–economy linkages, (3) regular environmental impact assessments, (4) adoption of integrated coastal zone management, and (5) community empowerment for participatory governance.