Prawn fishery off the west coast of India in relation tohydrographical conditions of the shelf waters

Based on the hydrographic data collected on board R. V. Kalava and R. V. Varuna, the vertical distribution patterns of temperature, densiiy (sigma-0 and dissolved oxygen content of sea water at five places between Cape Comorin and Mangalore were studied. In the present account an attempt is made to correlate the hydrogiaphic data with the prawn landings in the regicn concerned. The prawn fishery flourishes well during the south-west monsoon period when catches are high off the Kerala coast.