Atmospheric aerosols can influence marine primary productivity through nutrient deposition and radiative effects, yet their impact in monsoon‑driven systems such as the Arabian Sea (AS) remains complex. Using multi‑sensor satellite observations from 2003 to 2024, this study investigated the role of atmospheric aerosols in sea surface chlorophyll‑a (Chl‑a) variability in the AS using satellite‑derived Chl‑a, aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and other environmental variables. The correlation analysis showed a moderate positive correlation (r=0.48) between Chl‑a and AOT, with a weaker link to dust optical thickness (r=0.20), indicating that the observed variability is more strongly governed by shared physical processes in the air‑sea system than by direct fertilization effects from dust deposition alone. Regionally, strong positive correlations occur in the western AS, where monsoon winds drive simultaneous upwelling and aerosol transport. In contrast, weak or negative correlations are found in the northeastern AS and the Arabian Gulf, where stratification and light limitation decouple the response. Interannual variability revealed coupling strength was also linked with extreme climate modes. Multivariate analysis showed that Chl‑a variability is primarily driven by sea surface temperature, sea level anomaly, salinity, and currents, while aerosols act as secondary drivers. The overall results highlighted that aerosol effects were secondary in regions where the Chl‑a variability was primarily dominated by physical forcing (winds, stratification, circulation), emphasizing the need for regime‑specific understanding of atmospheric impacts on ocean productivity.

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