Chennai: Gulf of Mannar biosphere reserve, one of the richest region from a marine biodiversity perspective, houses three distinct coastal ecosystems. One of them, in particular, has enjoyed the recent brief spells of turbulence and storms hitting the southeast coast of Tamil Nadu.
The Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park located in the Rameswaram-Mannar Bay-Thoothukudi area houses around 4,223 species of plants and animals along with highly productive coral reefs around 21 islands.
Strong winds, rains aid coral recovery in Gulf of Mannar According to reports, shallow seawater levels in islets provide a favourable environment for coral reefs to thrive. Considering the importance of coral reefs, the state government has banned coral poaching.
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However, warmer water temperatures cause coral bleaching: a process in which coral expel algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing them to turn white.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Assistant Professor Diraviam of the Suganthi Devadasan Marine Research Institute said that when temperatures start to rise above 20°C, the coral starts to bleach.
"This happens every summer. In 2020 we noticed that coral started bleaching when temperatures were 31°C. What happened this year is we faced low depression, tropical cyclones conditions during April-May. The strong winds, rains have helped coral reefs recover," Diraviam said.
"By the start of June, the temperature went down to 28.6. Now they are in the recovery process. Normally they recover by August. Due to Cyclone this year, they will recover completely by July," he said.
The strip of 21 islands at the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, off the east coast of Tamil Nadu, is a marine biodiversity paradise and the Biosphere Reserve Police Department undertake frequent patrolling to safeguard the highly valued coral species.
In 2002, the Gulf Of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust (GOMBRT) was set up as a partnership between the Tamil Nadu government, the United Nations Development Programme and the Global Environment Facility to demonstrate the possibilities of conserving the environment and encouraging sustainable development processes in the region. The GOMBRT has been conducting research and scientific studies, monitoring marine life in the 10,000 square kilometre core area of the islands.
Earlier, researchers at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) had found a rare bandtail scorpionfish (Scorpaenospsis Neglecta) off the Sethukarai coast in the Gulf of Mannar.
Sethukarai is a famous pilgrimage centre in Tamil Nadu, connected to Indian mythology. It is believed Lord Rama got constructed a sea bridge from Sethukarai to Sri Lanka.
