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Issue
Editors :
Photo Credits : The
views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the editor
or of the Wildlife Institute of India. Web Designing : Dinesh Singh Pundir
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Lakshadweep Island : The Coral Paradise of India - Basudev Tripathy On 6 th August 2001, I visited Lakshadweep for the first time with the purpose of studying sea turtles. The very first day in when I landed at Agatti island, I was captivated by the sky blue lagoon and its beautiful corals. It is in this wilderness lies a biologist’s paradise, the diversity of species and their interactions can be easily observed. The moment was unforgettable for me when I entered the lagoon for snorkeling. I saw warning colour of predators in dazzling hues of red, white, black and tinges of gold and with toxic/non-toxic organic chemicals that deter others coming closer to them, this was really a sight to behold. Opportunists such as the mimics, engineer their designs thereby gaining protection but bolt as soon as they are exposed. The body colours resemble that of a large predator but who really are harmless, but to avoid being predated take this up. The soft corals with their colourful polyp & medusa are like a flowering garden at the bottom of the sea while the hard Acropora and spongia look like bushes painted with eastmen colours. The spiny lobsters and timid octopus find openings in the coral rocks. Sea cucumbers and tubeworms spread flower like crowns of tentacles while the hawksbill turtles laze at the surface above the reef all a lifetime dream sequence for any marine researcher. The fact that coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems and species rich areas in the globe is not surprising given the diversity of life forms that live here. But here I ask my self………. How much we know about this rich and fabulous underwater life ?The need for conservation and management of coral reefs and their associated fauna/flora is urgent and has been recognized by the IUCN as a global priority. Lakshadweep coral reefs, the only Atolls in Indian territorial waters and a excellent marine biodiversity reservoir has been recognized as national heritage and must be conserved and a good case for the establishment of a marine Park in Lakshadweep islands. Among the 36 islands, including 12 Atolls, 3 reefs and 5 submerged banks covering an area of 32 Km˛ and 4000-km 2 oceanic zone, 10 are inhabited while the others are partially inhabited or uninhabited islands. Every island has reef and corals, both in the lagoon as well as in the sea. The Pitti island is a small sand bar where more than 10,000 terns aggregate for nesting. This island is recently declared as a Bird sanctuary. But except for this island, no other island is designated as protected area or declared as Marine Park. This may be due to the fact that we do not know the status of corals and its associated flora and fauna and their fate in the near future. Another reason may be due to ignorance on the subject of marine biodiversity and negligence by the authority because of non-availability of baseline data. Except for stray studies, no documentation has been done so far in Lakshadweep on the endangered marine flora and fauna.There is a need to carry out rapid surveys on the corals and its associated endangered marine flora and fauna and suggest long-term action plan for the conservation and management of corals & its associated ecosystem of Lakshadweep Archipelago to Government of India as well as Government of Lakshadweep. It is important to recognize that time is short, and we need to act fast to save this excellent coral ecosystem from extinction. |
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