A single date Coastal Zone Colour Scanner (CZCS) (onboard Nimbus 7 satellit
e) image of north west coast of India covering the area off Bombay and furt
her south for March showed distinct patterns of pigment distribution. The s
ingle channel thermal data when density sliced shows resemblance with the p
igment distribution pattern particularly in the offshore waters. The mean m
onthly pigment map derived from CZCS data showed seasonal change both quali
tative as well as quantitative. The climatological oceanographic temperatur
e data shows variation with season and different patterns at different dept
hs are observed. However, when compared with the pigment distribution patte
rn the temperature contour at 50 m depth shows a close match with the pigme
nt concentration contours of 0.2 mg. m(-3) and 0.6 mg. m(-3) particularly d
uring March, September and October. The contours of 2 mg, m(-3)) and 0.6 mg
. m(-3) correlate with the temperature contours of 26 degrees C and 24 degr
ees C respectively. However, for other months no specific correlation is se
en. It is observed that during these months which represents transition pha
se between northeast (March) and southwest (September, October) monsoon the
MLD tends to be shallower. In the Arabian Sea the pigment distribution ref
lects the introduction of nutrients into the photic zone. The maximum annua
l pigment biomass in the Arabian Sea occurs when the mixed layer is relativ
ely shallow. Therefore, at the time of sufficiently shallow MLD and less tu
rbulent conditions the pigment and temperature pattern show covariation. Fo
r any modeling activity such understanding is crucial factor when inter-rel
ationship of physical/biological oceanographic parameters is involved. This
provides a useful input for modeling the coupling between physical and bio
logical oceanographic parameters.