Composited sea surface responses to tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal during 2003-2020.

Tropical cyclones (TCs) in the Bay of Bengal (BoB) caused significant changes in the sea surface as they passed through the sea. To quantitatively study the differences in oceanic responses caused by TCs during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons in the BoB from 2003 to 2020 and the varying importance of TC intensity and translation speed in modulating oceanic responses, the oceanic environmental parameters affected by TCs were composited and analyzed. The spatial distributions show that the responses of sea surface temperature (SST) rather than chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentrations and sea surface salinity (SSS) coincided with the maximum response centers of the wind power index (WPi). All the temporal changes in SST, Chl-a, and SSS indicated that the changes induced by TCs began approximately 2-3 days before TC passage, continued to increase during cyclone passage, and then slowly returned to the initial state after at least 8 days. Compared with TC intensity, TC translation speed generally played a less important role in influencing the ocean responses of SST, Chl-a and SSS. This result is somewhat different from previous results in which the response of Chl-a was correlated with TC translation speed rather than TC intensity in the northern Indian Ocean. In addition, the SSS response was positively proportional (R = 0.886) to the TC translation speed in the BoB, which was different from that in the Northwest Pacific. The differences in the responses during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons were mainly in terms of quantity, as all the composited results were similar. In addition, they were more pronounced in their responses but less significant in their correlations during pre-monsoon.

Accumulation rate and sources of plastic marine litter at nesting grounds of green turtles on the North Island of Qilianyu, Xisha Islands, South China Sea.

In this study, the accumulation rate of plastic litter was investigated by sampling quadrats placed on the North Island of Qilianyu, and the composition was analyzed and identified to determine its source. The results showed that the annual average accumulation rate of plastic litter on North Island was 0.64 ± 0.32 pieces·m-2·month-1, with a mass accumulation rate of 11.30 ± 7.73 g·m-2·month-1. The accumulation rate of plastic litter was mainly influenced by wind speed and direction, with higher accumulation rates occurring during the southwest monsoon season and tropical cyclones. ATR-FTIR analysis indicated that polyethylene (44 %) and polypropylene (41 %) were the most abundant types of polymers. This study reveals the current status of plastic litter pollution in green turtle nesting grounds on North Island in Qilianyu, which can be used as a reference for management strategies that mitigate plastic litter pollution.

Damage to tropical forests caused by cyclones is driven by wind speed but mediated by topographical exposure and tree characteristics.

Each year, an average of 45 tropical cyclones affect coastal areas and potentially impact forests. The proportion of the most intense cyclones has increased over the past four decades and is predicted to continue to do so. Yet, it remains uncertain how topographical exposure and tree characteristics can mediate the damage caused by increasing wind speed. Here, we compiled empirical data on the damage caused by 11 cyclones occurring over the past 40 years, from 74 forest plots representing tropical regions worldwide, encompassing field data for 22,176 trees and 815 species. We reconstructed the wind structure of those tropical cyclones to estimate the maximum sustained wind speed (MSW) and wind direction at the studied plots. Then, we used a causal inference framework combined with Bayesian generalised linear mixed models to understand and quantify the causal effects of MSW, topographical exposure to wind (EXP), tree size (DBH) and species wood density (ρ) on the proportion of damaged trees at the community level, and on the probability of snapping or uprooting at the tree level. The probability of snapping or uprooting at the tree level and, hence, the proportion of damaged trees at the community level, increased with increasing MSW, and with increasing EXP accentuating the damaging effects of cyclones, in particular at higher wind speeds. Higher ρ decreased the probability of snapping and to a lesser extent of uprooting. Larger trees tended to have lower probabilities of snapping but increased probabilities of uprooting. Importantly, the effect of ρ decreasing the probabilities of snapping was more marked for smaller than larger trees and was further accentuated at higher MSW. Our work emphasises how local topography, tree size and species wood density together mediate cyclone damage to tropical forests, facilitating better predictions of the impacts of such disturbances in an increasingly windier world.

A longitudinal investigation of risk perceptions and adaptation behavior in the US Gulf Coast.

Climate change is occurring more rapidly than expected, requiring that people quickly and continually adapt to reduce human suffering. The reality is that climate change-related threats are unpredictable; thus, adaptive behavior must be continually performed even when threat saliency decreases (e.g. time has passed since climate-hazard exposure). Climate change-related threats are also intensifying; thus, new or more adaptive behaviors must be performed over time. Given the need to sustain climate change-related adaptation even when threat saliency decreases, it becomes essential to better understand how the relationship between risk perceptions and adaptation co-evolve over time. In this study, we present results from a probability-based representative sample of 2,774 Texas and Florida residents prospectively surveyed 5 times (2017-2022) in the presence and absence of exposure to tropical cyclones, a climate change-related threat. Distinct trajectories of personal risk perceptions emerged, with higher and more variable risk perceptions among the less educated and those living in Florida. Importantly, as tropical cyclone adaptation behaviors increased, personal risk perceptions decreased over time, particularly in the absence of storms, while future tropical cyclone risk perceptions remained constant. In sum, adapting occurs in response to current risk but may inhibit future action despite increasing future tropical cyclone risks. Our results suggest that programs and policies encouraging proactive adaptation investment may be warranted.

Cyclone Jasper's rains in the context of climate change.

Cyclone Jasper struck northern Queensland in mid-December, 2023, causing extensive flooding stemming from torrential rain. Many stations reported rainfall totals exceeding 1 m, and a few surpassed 2 m, possibly making Jasper the wettest tropical cyclone in Australian history. To be better prepared for events like Jasper, it is useful to estimate the probability of rainfall events of Jasper's magnitude and how that probability is likely to evolve as climate warms. To make such estimates, we apply an advanced tropical cyclone downscaling technique to nine global climate models, generating a total of 27,000 synthetic tropical cyclones each for the climate of the recent past and that of the end of this century. We estimate that the annual probability of 1 m of rain from tropical cyclones at Cairns increases from about 0.8% at the end of the 20th century to about 2.3% at the end of the 21st, a factor of almost three. Interpolating frequency to the year 2023 suggests that the current annual probability of Jasper's rainfall is about 1.2%, about a 50% increase over that of the year 2000. Further analysis suggests that the primary causes of increasing rainfall are stronger cyclones and a moister atmosphere.

Unravelling the role of tropical cyclones in shaping present species distributions.

Driven by climate change, tropical cyclones (TCs) are predicted to change in intensity and frequency through time. Given these forecasted changes, developing an understanding of how TCs impact insular wildlife is of heightened importance. Previous work has shown that extreme weather events may shape species distributions more strongly than climatic averages; however, given the coarse spatial and temporal scales at which TC data are often reported, the influence of TCs on species distributions has yet to be explored. Using TC data from the National Hurricane Center, we developed spatially and temporally explicit species distribution models (SDMs) to examine the role of TCs in shaping present-day distributions of Puerto Rico's 10 Anolis lizard species. We created six predictor variables to represent the intensity and frequency of TCs. For each occurrence of a species, we calculated these variables for TCs that came within 500 km of the center of Puerto Rico and occurred within the 1-year window prior to when that occurrence was recorded. We also included predictor variables related to landcover, climate, topography, canopy cover and geology. We used random forests to assess model performance and variable importance in models with and without TC variables. We found that the inclusion of TC variables improved model performance for the majority of Puerto Rico's 10 anole species. The magnitude of the improvement varied by species, with generalist species that occur throughout the island experiencing the greatest improvements in model performance. Range-restricted species experienced small, almost negligible, improvements but also had more predictive models both with and without the inclusion of TC variables compared to generalist species. Our findings suggest that incorporating data on TCs into SDMs may be important for modeling insular species that are prone to experiencing these types of extreme weather events.

The impact of tropical cyclones and water conservancy projects on island's flash floods.

The analysis of the influencing factors of flash floods, one of the most destructive natural disasters, is the basis of scientific disaster prevention and mitigation. There is little research considering the influence of tropical cyclones (TCs) and water conservancy projects on flash floods, which cannot be ignored in the island areas where flash floods often occur due to the complex influence of various factors. In this study, under the pressure-state-response framework (PSR framework), the factors affecting the distribution of flash floods on Hainan Island, China, from 1970 to 2010 were quantitatively analyzed by using the geographical detector method. By dividing the time period, give full play to the advantages of the PSR framework and show the evolution process of various factors. Different from inland areas, extreme precipitation and tropical cyclones play a major role in the spatial distribution of flash floods on Hainan Island, China, and the driving force of tropical cyclones is 1.1 times that of extreme precipitation on average. Medium-sized reservoirs play the greatest role in the prevention of flash floods on Hainan Island, and their driving forces reach 0.38 times of extreme precipitation on average, followed by large-sized reservoirs and small-sized reservoirs. Large-sized reservoirs are limited in quantity and have limited effectiveness in preventing flash floods on Hainan Island. Therefore, in the forecasting and risk management of flash flood in the island area, more attention should be paid to the impact of extreme precipitation and TCs, and the role of medium-sized reservoir should be fully exerted.

Extreme Weather Events and Asthma.

The objective of this article is to review recent literature on the implications of extreme weather events such as thunderstorms, wildfires, tropical cyclones, freshwater flooding, and temperature extremes in relationship to asthma symptoms. Several studies have shown worsening of asthma symptoms with thunderstorms, wildfires, tropical cyclones, freshwater flooding, and temperature extremes. In particular, thunderstorm asthma can be exacerbated by certain factors such as temperature, precipitation, and allergen sensitization. Therefore, it is imperative that the allergy and immunology community be aware of the health effects associated with these extreme weather events in order to educate patients and engage in mitigation strategies.

20th-Century hurricanes leave long-lasting legacies on tropical forest height and the abundance of a dominant wind-resistant palm.

Projected increases in hurricane intensity under a warming climate will have profound effects on many forest ecosystems. One key challenge is to disentangle the effects of wind damage from the myriad factors that influence forest structure and species distributions over large spatial scales. Here, we employ a novel machine learning framework with high-resolution aerial photos, and LiDAR collected over 115 km2 of El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico to examine the effects of topographic exposure to two hurricanes, Hugo (1989) and Georges (1998), and several landscape-scale environmental factors on the current forest height and abundance of a dominant, wind-resistant species, the palm Prestoea acuminata var. montana. Model predictions show that the average density of the palm was 32% greater while the canopy height was 20% shorter in forests exposed to the two storms relative to unexposed areas. Our results demonstrate that hurricanes have lasting effects on forest canopy height and composition, suggesting the expected increase in hurricane severity with a warming climate will alter coastal forests in the North Atlantic.

A comprehensive review on sustainable coastal zone management in Bangladesh: Present status and the way forward.

Bangladesh, a coastal developing nation with a diverse sustainable biodiversity of natural resources is currently focused upon by international communities as a result of its high potential of the coastal zone (CZ) with natural gas. Sustainable Coastal Zone Management (SCZM) is key to its national development. SCZM refers to the management of coastal resources in order to provide secure and alternative livelihoods, as well as to manage all types of coastal hazards and social and cultural well-being in order to ensure long-term productivity and minimize environmental impact. This paper aims to delineate the current initiatives and status of coastal management in Bangladesh, highlighting key issues such as climate changes, sea level rise, tropical cyclones, coastal and marine pollution, coastal erosions, saltwater intrusions, and mangrove degradations as well as the future trend in Bangladesh which will facilitate sustainable development by emphasizing the social, ecological, and economic pillars of sustainability. Unsustainable coastal development practices in Bangladesh are going to damage the coastal ecosystems, particularly mangrove forests and coral reefs, which provide protection against tropical cyclones caused by global climate change and coastal erosions. The paper concludes by outlining a roadmap toward achieving SCZM in Bangladesh. The road to achieving SCZM requires collaboration, integration of scientific research, policy frameworks, community engagement, capacity building, and long-term commitment from all stakeholders involved. So, it is required to address all kinds of coastal issues and reframes all existing coastal management practices to ensure a healthy productive ecosystem to achieve SCZM as well as the sustainable development of the country.

Near-term tropical cyclone risk and coupled Earth system model biases.

Most current climate models predict that the equatorial Pacific will evolve under greenhouse gas-induced warming to a more El Niño-like state over the next several decades, with a reduced zonal sea surface temperature gradient and weakened atmospheric Walker circulation. Yet, observations over the last 50 y show the opposite trend, toward a more La Niña-like state. Recent research provides evidence that the discrepancy cannot be dismissed as due to internal variability but rather that the models are incorrectly simulating the equatorial Pacific response to greenhouse gas warming. This implies that projections of regional tropical cyclone activity may be incorrect as well, perhaps even in the direction of change, in ways that can be understood by analogy to historical El Niño and La Niña events: North Pacific tropical cyclone projections will be too active, North Atlantic ones not active enough, for example. Other perils, including severe convective storms and droughts, will also be projected erroneously. While it can be argued that these errors are transient, such that the models' responses to greenhouse gases may be correct in equilibrium, the transient response is relevant for climate adaptation in the next several decades. Given the urgency of understanding regional patterns of climate risk in the near term, it would be desirable to develop projections that represent a broader range of possible future tropical Pacific warming scenarios-including some in which recent historical trends continue-even if such projections cannot currently be produced using existing coupled earth system models.

Challenges towards the Sustainability and Enhancement of the Indian Sundarban Mangrove's Blue Carbon Stock.

The Sundarban is the world's largest contiguous mangrove forest and stores around 26.62 Tg of blue carbon. The present study reviewed the factors causing a decline in its blue carbon content and poses a challenge in enhancing the carbon stock of this region. This review emphasized that recurrent tropical cyclones, soil erosion, freshwater scarcity, reduced sediment load into the delta, nutrient deficiency, salt-stress-induced changes in species composition, mangrove clearing, and anthropogenic pollution are the fundamental drivers which can potentially reduce the total blue carbon stock of this region. The southern end of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta that shelters this forest has stopped its natural progradation due to inadequate sediment flow from the upper reaches. Growing population pressure from the north of the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve and severe erosion in the southern end accentuated by regional sea-level rise has left minimal options to enhance the blue carbon stock by extending the forest premises. This study collated the scholarly observations of the past decades from this region, indicating a carbon sequestration potential deterioration. By collecting the existing knowledge base, this review indicated the aspects that require immediate attention to stop this ecosystem's draining of the valuable carbon sequestered and, at the same time, enhance the carbon stock, if possible. This review provided some key recommendations that can help sustain the blue carbon stock of the Indian Sundarban. This review stressed that characterizing the spatial variability of blue carbon with more sampling points, catering to the damaged trees after tropical cyclones, estuarine rejuvenation in the upper reaches, maintaining species diversity through afforestation programs, arresting coastal erosion through increasing sediment flow, and combating marine pollution have become urgent needs of the hour. The observations synthesized in this study can be helpful for academics, policy managers, and decision makers willing to uphold the sustainability of the blue carbon stock of this crucial ecosystem.

Mechanisms of tropical cyclone response under climate change in the community earth system model.

Climate change induces a myriad of effects which influences the global tropical cyclone (TC) genesis frequency. Here we explore how North Atlantic and Western Pacific TCs are affected under climate change using a present-day and a future (1% pCO2 scenario) ensemble of high resolution simulations. We find that the number of TCs decreases (-45%) in the North Atlantic but increases (+15%) in the Western Pacific. Part of these opposing variations are linked to differences in the ocean's meridional overturning circulation, which gives rise to a different sea surface temperature response and air-sea fluxes between the two basins. The results show the important role of oceanic climate change on TC response. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00382-023-06680-3.

Prolonged thermocline warming by near-inertial internal waves in the wakes of tropical cyclones.

Turbulence-enhanced mixing of upper ocean heat allows interaction between the tropical atmosphere and cold water masses that impact climate at higher latitudes thereby regulating air-sea coupling and poleward heat transport. Tropical cyclones (TCs) can drastically enhance upper ocean mixing and generate powerful near-inertial internal waves (NIWs) that propagate down into the deep ocean. Globally, downward mixing of heat during TC passage causes warming in the seasonal thermocline and pumps 0.15 to 0.6 PW of heat into the unventilated ocean. The final distribution of excess heat contributed by TCs is needed to understand subsequent consequences for climate; however, it is not well constrained by current observations. Notably, whether or not excess heat supplied by TCs penetrates deep enough to be kept in the ocean beyond the winter season is a matter of debate. Here, we show that NIWs generated by TCs drive thermocline mixing weeks after TC passage and thus greatly deepen the extent of downward heat transfer induced by TCs. Microstructure measurements of the turbulent diffusivity ([Formula: see text]) and turbulent heat flux (J[Formula: see text]) in the Western Pacific before and after the passage of three TCs indicate that mean thermocline values of [Formula: see text] and J[Formula: see text] increased by factors of 2 to 7 and 2 to 4 (95% confidence level), respectively, after TC passage. Excess mixing is shown to be associated with the vertical shear of NIWs, demonstrating that studies of TC-climate interactions ought to represent NIWs and their mixing to accurately capture TC effects on background ocean stratification and climate.

Elevated heat indices resulting from hurricane-related defoliation: a case study.

Defoliation caused by strong tropical cyclones can modify the partitioning of incident solar radiation between the sensible, latent, and substrate heat fluxes. While previous work has shown hurricane defoliation to warm near-surface air temperature along its track, this study more directly contextualizes the warming to human heat stress and exposure via the heat index (HI). For this case study, the spatial extent and temporal persistence of defoliation produced by Hurricane Laura (2020) in southwestern Louisiana was characterized using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The defoliated land surface was then assimilated into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model version 4.2 and compared to a control, normal-foliage simulation for the 30 days following landfall. Over southwest Louisiana, the largest HI increase occurred at 0600 UTC (1:00 AM LT) with an average increase of + 0.25 °C, and the exposure time to HI ≥ 30 °C increased by 8.1% after accounting for the defoliated landscape. Meanwhile, Cameron, Louisiana, the site of Laura's landfall where defoliation was most severe, cumulatively experienced an extra 33 h of HI values exceeding 26 °C, while mean HI increased by 1.2 °C at 0300 UTC. Additional WRF experiments were performed with altered "landfall" years of 2017 and 2018 to determine the sensitivity of defoliation-driven HI changes to the ambient synoptic conditions. While synoptic conditions modulated the magnitude of increase, HIs nonetheless experienced statistically significant increases in both hypothetical "landfall" years. Such findings are valuable for emergency managers and community health officials because overnight minimum temperatures are a strong indicator of heat mortality.

Long-term tropical cyclones activity shapes forest structure and reduces tree species diversity of U.S. temperate forests.

Increasing tropical cyclone (TC) pressure on temperate forests is inevitable under the recent global increase of the intensity and poleward migration of TCs. However, the long-term effects of TCs on large-scale structure and diversity of temperate forests remain unclear. Here, we aim to ascertain the legacy of TCs on forest structure and tree species richness by using structural equation models that consider several environmental gradients and use an extensive dataset containing >140,000 plots with >3 million trees from natural temperate forests across eastern United States impacted by TCs. We found that high TC activity (a combination of TC frequency and intensity) leads to a decrease in maximum tree sizes (height and diameter), an increase in tree density and basal area, and a decline in the number of tree species and recruits. We identified TC activity as the strongest predictor of forest structure and species richness in xeric (dry) forests, while it had a weaker impact on hydric (wet) forests. We highlight the sensitivity of forest structure and tree species richness to impacts of likely further increase of TC activity in interaction with climate extremes, especially drought. Our results show that increased TC activity leads to the homogenization of forest structure and reduced tree species richness in U.S. temperate forests. These findings suggest that further declines in tree species richness may be expected because of the projected increase of future levels of TC activity.

Increased Mortality Risks from a Spectrum of Causes of Tropical Cyclone Exposure - China, 2013-2018.

What is already known about this topic?: Tropical cyclone (TC) has a substantial and adverse impact on non-accidental mortality. However, whether heterogeneity exists when examining deaths from sub-causes and how TC impacts non-accidental mortality in the short term remain unclear. What is added by this report?: This study found substantial associations at lag 0 between TC exposure and circulatory and respiratory mortality. TC exposures were associated with increased risks for several mortality sub-causes at lag 0 day, including ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, cerebrovascular disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and Parkinson's disease. What are the implications for public health practice?: This finding suggests an urgent need to expand the public health focus of natural disaster management to include non-accidental mortality and sub-causes.

Implications of tropical cyclones on damage and potential recovery and restoration of logged forests in Vietnam.

Many natural forests in Southeast Asia are degraded following decades of logging. Restoration of these forests is delayed by ongoing logging and tropical cyclones, but the implications for recovery are largely uncertain. We analysed meteorological, satellite and forest inventory plot data to assess the effect of Typhoon Doksuri, a major tropical cyclone, on the forest landscapes of central Vietnam consisting of natural forests and plantations. We estimated the return period for a cyclone of this intensity to be 40 years. Plantations were almost twice as likely to suffer cyclone damage compared to natural forests. Logged natural forests (9-12 years after cessation of government-licensed logging) were surveyed before and after the storm with 2 years between measurements and remained a small biomass carbon sink (0.1 ± 0.3 Mg C ha-1 yr-1) over this period. The cyclone reduced the carbon sink of recovering natural forests by an average of 0.85 Mg C ha-1 yr-1, less than the carbon loss due to ongoing unlicensed logging. Restoration of forest landscapes in Southeast Asia requires a reduction in unlicensed logging and prevention of further conversion of degraded natural forests to plantations, particularly in landscapes prone to tropical cyclones where natural forests provide a resilient carbon sink. This article is part of the theme issue 'Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration'.

Comparative ergonomic assessment of manual harvesting of un-lodged and lodged paddy crops post-tropical cyclone in India.

OBJECTIVE: In recent times, increased rainfall from tropical cyclones due to climate change affects the agricultural sector, mainly the paddy fields. High windspeed with excessive rain causes lodging of paddy crops, which is difficult to harvest. Mechanized harvesting systems are ineffective in this situation due to waterlogging in the fields. Manual harvesting with a traditional sickle is the only way to harvest lodged crops to save food security crises and economic losses. Collecting the lodged paddy stems lying on the ground for harvesting manually is time-consuming and harvesters need to maintain an awkward posture for a prolonged period compared to harvesting un-lodged crops. METHODS: Seventy-five female harvesters aged 35-75 years were selected for the study from both lodged and un-lodged small-scale farming lands of Kerala, a southwestern coastal state of India. A comparative ergonomic assessment was conducted to measure body pain, perceived exertion, postural risks, and rate of production under both harvesting conditions. RESULTS: The harvesters reported significant higher rates of body pain, perceived exertion, high postural risks, and low productivity in lodged conditions compared to un-lodged condition. CONCLUSION: Harvesting lodged crops involves high risks with low productivity and needs immediate ergonomic design intervention for the well-being of the harvesters.

Impact of extreme events on the transformation of hydrological characteristics of Asia's largest brackish water system, Chilika Lake.

The earth is experiencing the impact of climate change due to global warming. Lake ecosystems are no exception and are expected to cope with the consequences of extreme climatic events (hereafter ECE), such as storms, floods, and droughts. These events have significant potential to alter the hydrological characteristics (HC) influencing the physical, chemical, and biological behavior of lake ecosystems. Considering such ecosystem's high-value services and benefits, it is the need of the hour to monitor and evaluate the impact of ECE on lake ecosystems. The second-largest brackish water system in the world, Chilika Lake, situated at the shore of the Bay of Bengal (BoB), has encountered a total of 1306 tropical cyclonic storms in the last 131 years. Since most tropical cyclones lead to heavy floods, this could be devastating for the ecosystem and its services. Hence, in order to bridge the knowledge gap, the present study was carried out to understand its impact, based on the available field data of more than two decades (1999 to 2020) and historical records of ECE and HC since 1840 and 1915 respectively from the literature. The study revealed that the ECE attributed to short-term changes in HC which were reflected through an immediate change in trophic state index (TSI, indicator of lake health) and trophic switchover (net autotrophic to heterotrophic) between net sink and source of carbon dioxide (CO2) in specific regions. This study showed that both the ECE as well as a human intervention (opening of the new mouth) had an integrated role in the maintenance of HC within the lake as indicated by the variability of salinity level which is the lifeblood of the Chilika. Major ECE factors which controlled the salinity in Chilika were freshwater input through cyclone-induced flash flooding and seawater exchange through varying mouth conditions, i.e., opening of the new mouth, shifting, and widening of existing mouths due to cyclone impacts. The impact of the cyclone-induced flash flood was sustained for a couple of months to years depending on the magnitudes. As evidenced from the historical data available for ECEs, respective mouth variability, and salinity regime, ECE was found to maintain the salinity regime of the lake in the long run. Since the hydrological characteristics are found to be maintained through ECE as well as human intervention, the Chilika Lake recorded a substantial increase in fishery, seagrasses, Irrawaddy dolphins, migratory birds, and reduction in weed infestation. This study highlights the importance of historical data collection through a continuous systematic lake monitoring program which would enable understanding the ecosystem functioning and behavior with ECE-induced changing environmental conditions which is also a key component for formulating a sustainable management action plan for lake ecosystems around the globe.