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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/coral-reefs/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
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					<title>How are degraded coral reefs restored in India? [Explainer]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/how-are-degraded-coral-reefs-restored-in-india-explainer/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/how-are-degraded-coral-reefs-restored-in-india-explainer/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 May 2026 14:57:11 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Neha Jain]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Artificial reefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restoration]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/25140628/Coral-Garden-nursery-tables-at-Mithapur-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38349</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas, Climate Connections, and Environment Explained]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Oceans, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Coral reefs, often called the rainforests of the sea, are among the most productive and vibrant ecosystems on earth. Despite occupying less than 1% of the sea floor, they harbour over 25% of all marine species, including fish, lobsters, clams, seahorses, sponges and sea turtles. Reefs form over thousands of years as coral polyps, the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Coral reefs, often called the rainforests of the sea, are among the most productive and vibrant ecosystems on earth. Despite occupying less than 1% of the sea floor, they harbour over 25% of all marine species, including fish, lobsters, clams, seahorses, sponges and sea turtles. Reefs form over thousands of years as coral polyps, the tiny marine animals that make up hard or stony corals that attach to hard surfaces such as submerged rocks and secrete calcium carbonate (limestone), creating rigid, protective skeletons. Since the 1950s, the world&#8217;s living corals and their capacity to provide ecosystem services have declined by half. Climate change, which has led to rising ocean temperatures and acidification is one of the major threats to corals. Local, human-driven causes impacting coral reefs include pollution from land, unsustainable and destructive fishing practices, coastal development and sedimentation, unsustainable tourism and boating, as well as environmental threats such as disease and predator outbreaks. Coral restoration, introduced in the 1970s, is an active, human-led process aimed at rebuilding and accelerating the recovery of damaged or degraded reefs. This is achieved by growing corals underwater or in land-based nurseries, then transplanting them back into the seabed using adhesives such as cement. The goals of coral restoration are to enhance reef resilience to future stresses, restore biodiversity, protect coral genetic diversity, and sustain ecosystem services such as coastal protection and tourism. The Mithapur Coral Reef Recovery Project has installed 2,310 artificial reefs, supported by 57 coral garden nurseries, where corals are nurtured&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/how-are-degraded-coral-reefs-restored-in-india-explainer/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Green tribunal rules in favour of Great Nicobar Island project, citing &#8216;adequate safeguards&#8217;</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/green-tribunal-rules-in-favour-of-great-nicobar-island-project-citing-adequate-safeguards/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/green-tribunal-rules-in-favour-of-great-nicobar-island-project-citing-adequate-safeguards/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Feb 2026 13:59:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coastal Regulation Zone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Great Nicobar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Great Nicobar Island]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National Green Tribunal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NGT.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[port]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/17131003/Great_Nicobar_Serpent_Eagle_Spilornis_klossi_by_Shreeram_MV-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36928</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Coral Reefs, Ecology, Environmental Law, Islands, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has refused to interfere with the environmental clearance for the Great Nicobar Island project, concluding that “adequate safeguards have been provided” for gaps in the clearance process. The order follows a lengthy court battle challenging the project’s compliance with coastal regulations, which prohibit the development of large projects in sensitive [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has refused to interfere with the environmental clearance for the Great Nicobar Island project, concluding that “adequate safeguards have been provided” for gaps in the clearance process. The order follows a lengthy court battle challenging the project’s compliance with coastal regulations, which prohibit the development of large projects in sensitive coastal areas. The NGT pronounced its order on February 16, after reserving its judgement for several months. The development of Great Nicobar Island has drawn sharp criticism from environmentalists, sociologists, and members of the Opposition for the destruction it will cause on the island, which is part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The ₹81,000 crore (₹810 billion) project includes building an international container trans-shipment port on a leatherback turtle nesting site, as well as an airport, gas and solar power plant, and township which will lead to the felling of a million trees. The government argues that the project will help India take advantage of trade routes along the Malacca strait, which would “counter the pressure being built by foreign powers’ growing presence.” In its order, the NGT said that “considering the strategic important of the Project [sic],” it found no “good ground” to interfere with the project’s environmental clearance, which was granted in 2022. Jairam Ramesh, former environment Minister and a vocal critic of the project, called the outcome “deeply disappointing,” in a post on X. “There is clear evidence that the project will have disastrous ecological impacts. The conditions for its clearance,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/green-tribunal-rules-in-favour-of-great-nicobar-island-project-citing-adequate-safeguards/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A Lakshadweep island’s strategic value worries conservationists and fishers</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-lakshadweep-islands-strategic-value-worries-conservationists-and-fishers/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-lakshadweep-islands-strategic-value-worries-conservationists-and-fishers/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Jan 2026 21:19:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Max Martin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/27120512/A_catch_of_groupers-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36636</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Coral Reefs, Ecology, Fish, Fishing, Islands, Land Rights, Oceans, Overfishing, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“A thousand leopards in a forest patch the size of a football field!” This is how marine conservation researchers Rucha Karkarey and Vardhan Patankar described unusually large shoals of squaretail groupers (Plectropomus areolatus) gliding along the coral reefs, off the shores of Bitra, an island in northern Lakshadweep. In 2010, Karkarey’s team recorded densities of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“A thousand leopards in a forest patch the size of a football field!” This is how marine conservation researchers Rucha Karkarey and Vardhan Patankar described unusually large shoals of squaretail groupers (Plectropomus areolatus) gliding along the coral reefs, off the shores of Bitra, an island in northern Lakshadweep. In 2010, Karkarey’s team recorded densities of over 3,600 fish in over four hectares — an area roughly the size of five football fields. “This was between two and six times higher than any density previously recorded across south-east Asia,” recalled Karkarey, who is now a senior research associate at Lancaster University, U.K. Geographically, the Union Territory of Lakshadweep comprises 12 atolls, three reefs, and five submerged banks. Out of a total of 36 islands in the Lakshadweep archipelago, with a total area of 32 sq km, only ten are inhabited. Among them Bitra is a tiny shark-fin-shaped strip of sand that is home to just about 271 people. The island is 570 metres in length and 280 m at its widest point, with an area of 0.105 sq km. The smallest inhabited island of the archipelago with its ecologically-sensitive marine landscape, Bitra is now under spotlight. The Lakshadweep administration is planning to take over the island, because of its strategic location, its national security relevance, and the inherent logistical and administrative challenges associated with civilian habitation. The islanders however, say this is “land-grabbing” for tourism, trade and development, especially in the post-COVID-19 tourism boom. “The islanders have been fishing here for&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-lakshadweep-islands-strategic-value-worries-conservationists-and-fishers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>India needs a marine litter policy as plastic waste chokes corals</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/india-needs-a-marine-litter-policy-as-plastic-waste-chokes-corals/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/india-needs-a-marine-litter-policy-as-plastic-waste-chokes-corals/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Sep 2025 13:29:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[T. V. Padma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine debris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine plastic debris]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/09/19123751/Coral_reef_Elephant_Beach_Andaman_07-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34699</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Coral Reefs, Fishing, Islands, Oceans, Plastic, Pollution, Waste management, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Plastic debris and derelict fishing gear are “entangling” and “smothering” corals reefs in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that are home to some of India’s most pristine coral reefs and with endemic fauna and flora, a new marine survey shows. The survey aimed to provide critical data on the impacts of marine litter and derelict [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Plastic debris and derelict fishing gear are “entangling” and “smothering” corals reefs in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that are home to some of India’s most pristine coral reefs and with endemic fauna and flora, a new marine survey shows. The survey aimed to provide critical data on the impacts of marine litter and derelict fishing gear on the critically endangered coral reefs in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an archipelago in the Bay of Bengal, recognised as highly biodiverse yet underrepresented in global marine pollution studies. The findings add to recent studies highlighting an increasing amount of plastic litter and derelict fishing gear in global oceans, which pose significant threats to corals and reef-associated marine biota. The survey, published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin, was conducted by the Mahatma Gandhi Government College in Andaman and Nicobar Islands; regional centres under the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in Port Blair and Thiruvanathapuram; the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s National Institute of Oceanography, Goa; and Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad. Plastic was the most dominant litter, forming about 60% of the litter in the reefs, the survey found. Derelict fishing gear made mostly of plastic comprised about one-third of the total litter. Indicators such as the plastic abundance index (PAI), hazardous item index (HII), and clean environment index (CEI) to assess the ecological impact of marine litter highlighted “significant risks” posed by marine litter to the reefs. The scientists report that their findings help “strengthen the assessment&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/india-needs-a-marine-litter-policy-as-plastic-waste-chokes-corals/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Court submission challenges ‘confidential’ report on the Great Nicobar Island plan</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/a-new-submission-challenges-confidential-report-on-the-great-nicobar-island-plan/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/a-new-submission-challenges-confidential-report-on-the-great-nicobar-island-plan/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Aug 2025 16:18:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coastal Regulation Zone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[earthquake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Great Nicobar]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/08/27143234/155711087_43890ea788_o-768x464.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34331</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Coastal erosion, Coral Reefs, Environment, Environmental Crime, Environmental Politics, and Islands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A submission by activist Ashish Kothari in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has challenged the confidential status of a report which clears the way for a trans-shipment port on the biodiverse Great Nicobar Island. The report — which hasn’t been publicly released — abruptly concluded that parts of the planned mega port no longer fell [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A submission by activist Ashish Kothari in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has challenged the confidential status of a report which clears the way for a trans-shipment port on the biodiverse Great Nicobar Island. The report — which hasn’t been publicly released — abruptly concluded that parts of the planned mega port no longer fell in an ecologically fragile no-development zone. However, the port’s construction could destroy coral reefs and turtle and megapod habitats. The government envisions building a trans-shipment container port, township, greenfield airport and solar and gas power plant on the Great Nicobar Island. Despite criticism from environmentalists, bureaucrats, opposition party leaders and international conservation groups, the government has pushed for the project citing its strategic location — close to key trade routes along the Malacca strait. In 2023, The National Green Tribunal ordered the government to constitute a High Powered Committee (HPC) to “revisit” the project’s environmental clearance, based on “certain deficiencies” pointed out in Kothari’s petition. The Union Environment Ministry granted the project clearance in 2022, based on several conditions. Citing the island’s coastal maps and existing rules under the Island Coastal Regulation Zone notification 2019, Kothari’s petition pointed out that seven square kilometres of the project fell in the CRZ 1-A coastal area, where most development activities are strictly prohibited. Of the seven square kilometres, 0.63 square kilometres fall under the port and port reclamation — the first of the four projects to come up.  CRZ 1-A areas are those are documented to have coral&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/a-new-submission-challenges-confidential-report-on-the-great-nicobar-island-plan/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Pole-and-line fishing face new challenges with push for tuna fish exports</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/pole-and-line-fishing-face-new-challenges-as-push-for-tuna-fish-exports-rise/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/pole-and-line-fishing-face-new-challenges-as-push-for-tuna-fish-exports-rise/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Jun 2025 11:08:39 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[K.A. Shaji]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[artisanal fishing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/06/17075712/poleandline-fishing-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33179</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Coral Reefs, Fish, Fishing, Islands, Oceans, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In 1961, former Air Force pilot-turned-civil servant Moorkoth Ramunni came to Lakshadweep, a remote archipelago of 36 islands in the Arabian Sea, as its new administrator. India’s former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had tasked him with improving the living conditions of people across the inhabited islands. While in Lakshadweep, Ramunni joined Hussain Ali, a resident [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In 1961, former Air Force pilot-turned-civil servant Moorkoth Ramunni came to Lakshadweep, a remote archipelago of 36 islands in the Arabian Sea, as its new administrator. India’s former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had tasked him with improving the living conditions of people across the inhabited islands. While in Lakshadweep, Ramunni joined Hussain Ali, a resident of southern Minicoy Island, on a tuna fishing expedition. Here, Ramunni was captivated by the small-scale traditional pole-and-line fishing practice. The chance encounter with Hussain Ali, a well-known local advocate of pole-and-line tuna fishing, gave Ramunni a first-hand experience of this targeted fishing method that enables selective capture – it prevents capturing juvenile fish and species on the conservation list. The traditional fishing method, which originated over 1,000 years ago in the Maldives and spread then to Minicoy in Lakshadweep and a couple of Nicobar Islands, is now recognised as a significant sustainable fishing practice globally. Pole-and-line fishermen display their tuna catch of the day. The indigenous fishing method has grown to be recognised as an important sustainable fishing practice, leading to rise in its demand in Western markets. Image by K.A. Shaji. In Minicoy, recognising this low-profile fishing method as an example of an eco-friendly and sustainable fishing practice, Ramunni began advocating for this model to be adopted throughout the archipelago. This initiative has been important to protect the marine biodiversity of the seas surrounding Lakshadweep for the past 64 years. The main product of pole-and-line fishing is dried skipjack tuna, locally known as&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/pole-and-line-fishing-face-new-challenges-as-push-for-tuna-fish-exports-rise/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Reef islands in need of restoration</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/03/reef-islands-in-need-of-restoration/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/03/reef-islands-in-need-of-restoration/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Mar 2025 14:40:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[islands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reefs]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/03/14123803/RameshwaramScenicView-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31842</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas and Nature-based Solutions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Coral Reefs, Islands, and Sea Level Rise]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Afloat the turquoise waters in the Gulf of Mannar, along the Tamil Nadu coast from Rameswaram to Tuticorin, are islands that house the country’s richest marine biodiversity. More than 4,223 species of flora and fauna are found here. The region was named a Marine National Park in 1986 and the country’s first Marine Biodiversity Reserve [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Afloat the turquoise waters in the Gulf of Mannar, along the Tamil Nadu coast from Rameswaram to Tuticorin, are islands that house the country’s richest marine biodiversity. More than 4,223 species of flora and fauna are found here. The region was named a Marine National Park in 1986 and the country’s first Marine Biodiversity Reserve three years later. But there&#8217;s now trouble in this marine paradise. Two out of 22 islands have already vanished, with erosion threatening the ones that remain. A recent study of the islands in the Gulf of Mannar by the CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography found that approximately 5.40% of the overall surface areas of these islands has reduced since 1973. Additionally, many of these islands are also experiencing erosion and accretion due to rising sea levels and ocean swells. How islands erode The islands in the Gulf of Mannar are spread across 10,500 square kilometres and divided into five main archipelagos: Rameswaram (one island), Mandapam (seven islands), Keelakarai (seven islands), Vembar (three islands), and Tuticorin (four islands). Poovarasanapatti, an island in the Keelakarai group, disappeared before 1973, and Villanguchalli in the Tuticorin group disappeared completely by 2000. Map by Wetlands International via Ramsar Sites Information Service. Accretion (growth) and erosion across these islands are mediated by a number of factors, including wave dynamics, wind speeds, the frequency and intensity of storms. Among the biggest factors, however, are ocean swells. “Ocean swells are long duration waves with higher energy compared to regular waves. We have seen a&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/03/reef-islands-in-need-of-restoration/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/03/reef-islands-in-need-of-restoration/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Experimenting with artificial reefs to protect marine ecosystems</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/experimenting-with-artificial-reefs-to-protect-marine-ecosystems/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/experimenting-with-artificial-reefs-to-protect-marine-ecosystems/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Feb 2025 11:37:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aishwarya Mohanty]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Artificial reefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oceans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restoration]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/02/11160446/Artificial-Reef-3-768x453.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31456</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Odisha]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coral Reefs, Fishing, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The eastern coastal state of Odisha, with its unique geo-climatic setting, stands at the frontline of nature’s fury. The escalating coastal vulnerability has turned the region into a hotspot for climate-induced disasters, while also threatening its fragile marine ecosystem, disrupting biodiversity, and endangering coastal habitats. To address these challenges, Odisha plans to establish 93 artificial [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The eastern coastal state of Odisha, with its unique geo-climatic setting, stands at the frontline of nature’s fury. The escalating coastal vulnerability has turned the region into a hotspot for climate-induced disasters, while also threatening its fragile marine ecosystem, disrupting biodiversity, and endangering coastal habitats. To address these challenges, Odisha plans to establish 93 artificial reef units along its 480-kilometre coastline. Artificial reefs are structures designed to mimic the natural features of coral reefs and other underwater habitats. Globally recognised for their ability to restore marine ecosystems and boost fish populations, these reefs are constructed from materials like concrete, rocks, or specially engineered substances. Positioned on the seabed, they offer shelter, food, and breeding grounds for fish and other aquatic organisms, aiding in the recovery of degraded marine environments. Why does Odisha need artificial reefs? This initiative is not unique to Odisha. In August 2023, the Department of Fisheries unveiled plans to deploy artificial reefs in 3,477 fishing villages across the country, with the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) leading the initiative. Subsequently in November 2024, the Department of Fisheries (DoF), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry &amp; Dairying (MoFAH&amp;D), under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) approved the establishment of 93 units of artificial reefs for climate change mitigation, fish stock enhancement and promotion of sustainable marine fisheries along the Odisha coast, at an estimated cost of Rs. 29 crores (Rs. 290 million). Of the total investment, the union government funds 60% while the state provides the rest. Several&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/experimenting-with-artificial-reefs-to-protect-marine-ecosystems/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Plans to explore oil and gas in biodiversity-rich Wadge Bank raises concerns</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/plans-to-explore-oil-and-gas-in-biodiversity-rich-wadge-bank-raises-concerns/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/plans-to-explore-oil-and-gas-in-biodiversity-rich-wadge-bank-raises-concerns/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 May 2024 14:54:16 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[K.A. Shaji]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oil exploration]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/05/29133251/Sea-off-the-coast-Kanyakumari-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27966</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coral Reefs, Fishing, Oil, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Indian government’s decision, earlier this year, to allow the exploration and development of three oil and gas blocks off the Kanniyakumari coast, under the provisions of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licencing Policy (HELP) of 2016, has left fish workers in the districts of Kanniyakumari and Thirunelveli in Tamil Nadu and Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Indian government’s decision, earlier this year, to allow the exploration and development of three oil and gas blocks off the Kanniyakumari coast, under the provisions of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licencing Policy (HELP) of 2016, has left fish workers in the districts of Kanniyakumari and Thirunelveli in Tamil Nadu and Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam in Kerala, concerned about their livelihoods. Experts who have studied the sensitive marine region have confirmed that the proposed mega-oil exploration could have a detrimental effect on the ecosystem of Wadge Bank. Industrial activity and pollution from oil exploration could have unpredictable consequences for the ocean ecosystem. According to the Notice Inviting Offers (NIO) issued by the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gases, three blocks with a total area of 27,154 square kilometres on the Kanniyakumari coast would be brought under the programme. Fishers wait for the boats carrying the day&#8217;s catch at Vizhinjam, Kerala. Oil exploration could impact the Wadge Bank, a vital ecosystem for the livelihood of the fishing community in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Image by K.A.Shaji. M.G. Devasahayam, a retired civil service officer and an environmental activist in Tamil Nadu has noted that the Wadge Bank is vital to livelihoods and a source of nutrient-rich food and oil exploration could destroy the fragile ecosystem, pushing the fishing community into extreme poverty. Devasahayam has written to the Union Fisheries Department and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, requesting they withdraw the exploration bids. Wadge Bank rich in biodiversity, abundant fishery resource&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/plans-to-explore-oil-and-gas-in-biodiversity-rich-wadge-bank-raises-concerns/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Artificial reefs to boost fish catch, support livelihoods</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/artificial-reefs-on-the-rise-to-boost-fish-catch/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/artificial-reefs-on-the-rise-to-boost-fish-catch/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 May 2024 14:19:13 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Riddhi Doshi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Artificial reefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CMFRI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fish population]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/05/21093814/image002-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27868</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coral Reefs, Fish, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Mumbai got its first set of over 200 artificial reefs in February this year, at Worli Koliwada. These artificial structures mimic natural reefs and in Mumbai, they are aimed at countering the declining fish catch and improving sustainability of fishing as a livelihood, amid the impact of infrastructure projects. While the use of artificial reefs [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Mumbai got its first set of over 200 artificial reefs in February this year, at Worli Koliwada. These artificial structures mimic natural reefs and in Mumbai, they are aimed at countering the declining fish catch and improving sustainability of fishing as a livelihood, amid the impact of infrastructure projects. While the use of artificial reefs has seen success in many projects around India, some scientists have expressed uncertainty about their long-term impact. &#8220;Overall, the deployment of artificial reefs has been a success story because, unlike many other conservation projects, it not only slows down the damage caused to fish habitation but also grows it,&#8221; says Punit Dhandhania, one of the founders of the Puducherry-headquartered NGO Kuddle Life Foundation that led this project, funded by the RPG Foundation. Kuddle Life Foundation has been actively deploying these artificial reefs in Puducherry for the last four years. The use of artificial reefs is also being promoted by the government of India, as a unified initiative for the country, under the Prime Minister’s Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme. The Union Department of Fisheries announced, in August 2023, the deployment of artificial reefs across 3,477 fishing villages across India, including in Maharashtra, over the next two to three years. The reef installation programme under this nation-wide initiative is led by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), headquartered in Kochi, Kerala and intended to promote sustainable fisheries and livelihoods, especially for small fishers “We need artificial reefs not just to grow the fish population in our&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/artificial-reefs-on-the-rise-to-boost-fish-catch/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/artificial-reefs-on-the-rise-to-boost-fish-catch/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Traditional raft fishing threatened as reefs choke on plastic</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/02/thiruvananthapuram-fishers-for-conservation-of-treasure-troves-reefs-in-perils/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/02/thiruvananthapuram-fishers-for-conservation-of-treasure-troves-reefs-in-perils/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Feb 2024 14:51:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[John BennetMax Martin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine debris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reefs]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/02/12100120/ANA8320HR-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=26437</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[The India Water Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coral Reefs, Fishing, and Plastic]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Riding three-metre high shore waves, Placid Netto, 72, approached the shore on his eight-foot fibreglass raft, jumped off and clung on to its stern for a moment. He pushed the raft in a deft move that saved him from a wave hit. He then swam, waves hitting against his back, and walked over to his [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Riding three-metre high shore waves, Placid Netto, 72, approached the shore on his eight-foot fibreglass raft, jumped off and clung on to its stern for a moment. He pushed the raft in a deft move that saved him from a wave hit. He then swam, waves hitting against his back, and walked over to his friends on the shore. They helped him land his raft and discovered that Netto&#8217;s catch was good. The platform reefs off the shores of Netto’s Puthenthope village, about 15 km northwest of Thiruvananthapuram, a city in the southern Indian state of Kerala, are rich fishing grounds that attract traditional fishers. Migrants from southern villages have built two thriving fishing villages nearby. Unlike some other coral reefs that may have more complex structures with deeper crevices and passages, platform reefs generally have a flatter and more expansive surface. The coast of Thiruvananthapuram has rocky reefs, platforms, ridges and rare mudflats, unlike the coral reefs around the Lakshadweep Islands. Scientists from the University of Kerala, who recently documented the state’s reefs beyond a 40-metre depth, call them “animal forests” – home to sea pens, sea fans, rare soft corals, solitary hard corals, sponges, worms, molluscs, moss animals and sea squirts. While the turbid waters off the shores of Kerala are not ideal for coral reefs, they are still as stunningly scenic and diverse and also serve as the best dive spots in the world, professional divers associated with the university research reveal. “They attract huge schools of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/02/thiruvananthapuram-fishers-for-conservation-of-treasure-troves-reefs-in-perils/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>[Commentary] Conserving marine ecosystems through the Wild Life Protection Act is not very effective</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/commentary-conserving-marine-ecosystems-through-the-wild-life-protection-act-is-not-very-effective/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/commentary-conserving-marine-ecosystems-through-the-wild-life-protection-act-is-not-very-effective/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Jun 2021 12:23:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shivani Swami]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Nandithachandraprakash]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/06/10105403/whale-shark-header-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=14475</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Ecology, Endangered species, Environment, Environmental Law, Fishing, Oceans, Protected Areas, and Wildlife Protection Act]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India is a mega-biodiverse nation. It is home to 7-8% of the recorded species of the world. Its marine ecosystems are equally biodiverse: of the 32 animal phyla known to science, 15 are found in the marine ecosystems of India. In consequence, illegal trade in marine species in India is rampant. The primary Indian law [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India is a mega-biodiverse nation. It is home to 7-8% of the recorded species of the world. Its marine ecosystems are equally biodiverse: of the 32 animal phyla known to science, 15 are found in the marine ecosystems of India. In consequence, illegal trade in marine species in India is rampant. The primary Indian law protecting wildlife, including marine wildlife, is the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA). It prohibits the hunting of animals listed in its six schedules (lists) and regulates trade in such animals and their parts. It also provides for the declaration of protected areas within which human activities are restricted. These two approaches — banning hunting of and regulating trade in species by listing them in the schedules, and designation of protected areas — have found some success in protecting terrestrial wildlife. However, their efficacy in protecting marine ecosystems is questionable. A coral reef in the Andaman islands. While the Wild Life Protection Act has been significant in protecting terrestrial animals, its efficacy in protecting marine ecosystems is questionable. Photo by Ritiks/Wikimedia Commons. Marine ecosystems and terrestrially oriented policies The WLPA, in its original form, was oriented terrestrially. For almost 20 years after its enactment, it did not contemplate protected areas in terrestrial and marine ecosystems separately. The Act did not lay down any separate procedure for the declaration of marine-protected areas, and its Schedules listed very few marine species. However, in light of international developments in marine conservation, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/commentary-conserving-marine-ecosystems-through-the-wild-life-protection-act-is-not-very-effective/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Chennai artist and deep-sea diver creates awareness about coral health</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/chennai-artist-and-deep-sea-diver-creates-awareness-about-coral-health/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/chennai-artist-and-deep-sea-diver-creates-awareness-about-coral-health/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Jun 2021 10:28:41 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Anjana Parikh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/06/07195116/Pix-5-Uma-coral-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=14451</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coral Reefs]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Uma Mani, in her 50s, is a Chennai-based self-taught artist. She used to paint tulips and roses until 2010, the year in which she learned about coral reefs in Juan De Nova, a French documentary film, screened by Alliance Française Maldives for Earth Day. Fascinated by the world of corals and underwater life, she decided to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Uma Mani, in her 50s, is a Chennai-based self-taught artist. She used to paint tulips and roses until 2010, the year in which she learned about coral reefs in Juan De Nova, a French documentary film, screened by Alliance Française Maldives for Earth Day. Fascinated by the world of corals and underwater life, she decided to paint them. “Until then, I was unaware of the fact that the presence of corals in the ocean is extremely important. It made me realise that they are on the brink of extinction,” shares Mani. Some of the most diverse ecosystems, coral reefs are threatened by climate change. The temperature rise over the past few decades driven by climate change, has caused coral bleaching and death. Along with global stressors like the elevation of temperature, local stressors like overfishing and pollution also damage the corals and a recent study published on Science confirms the same. Uma’s first painting exhibition on coral reefs themed ‘The coral reef gardens’, was held in 2012 in Shangri-La Maldives at the Marine Lab. She has held five more painting exhibitions in the same trope in Maldives and three exhibitions in India. Painting of corals growing in between rocks underwater at Trincomalee, Sri Lanka by Uma Mani. At one of these exhibitions in 2014 at Taj Vivanta, Maldives, a visitor remarked sarcastically asking if she had ever seen real corals before painting them. That question haunted Uma for several days. “It was a big knock on my face and it hit&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/chennai-artist-and-deep-sea-diver-creates-awareness-about-coral-health/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>[Commentary] The unspoken crises of Lakshadweep</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/commentary-the-unspoken-crises-of-lakshadweep/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/commentary-the-unspoken-crises-of-lakshadweep/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jun 2021 15:07:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rohan Arthur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mayank Aggarwal]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[islands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[threatened]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/06/03145750/IMG_0134-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=14398</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Coral Reefs, Ecology, Fish, Fishing, Islands, Oceans, and Overfishing]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Beneath the current crisis that is brewing in the Lakshadweep, there is another unspoken crisis unfolding that threatens the very habitability of the islands, and calls into question the fevered dreams of development in whose name the current policies are being promulgated. The latest proposed regulations and orders will only make more efficient a process [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Beneath the current crisis that is brewing in the Lakshadweep, there is another unspoken crisis unfolding that threatens the very habitability of the islands, and calls into question the fevered dreams of development in whose name the current policies are being promulgated. The latest proposed regulations and orders will only make more efficient a process of unravelling that began several decades ago. The crisis I refer to, is climate change. Lakshadweep is living on borrowed time, and what we do with that time will decide the fate of the islands and its people. To be clear, I am not among the climate change Cassandras. I have spent the last two decades trying to wrap my head around the impacts of climate change on the coral reefs of Lakshadweep. In that time, I have seen the extraordinary resilience the ecosystem has shown to climate disturbances. When I first witnessed the reef succumb to a catastrophic bleaching event in mid-1998, I was convinced that I was witnessing the death of the reef, and that I would spend the remaining years writing its epitaph. I could not have been more wrong. It took a few years, but when the recovery began, it proceeded at a galloping pace, and in less than a decade the reef was well on its way to health again. If you spend enough time in nature, it cures you of any hubris of intellectual certainty. And the most dangerous thing you can do is to believe you have seen&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/commentary-the-unspoken-crises-of-lakshadweep/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Ghosts of the gulf: Marine debris a threat to corals in the Gulf of Mannar</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/01/ghosts-of-the-gulf-marine-debris-a-threat-to-corals-in-the-gulf-of-mannar/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/01/ghosts-of-the-gulf-marine-debris-a-threat-to-corals-in-the-gulf-of-mannar/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Jan 2021 11:31:11 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aathira Perinchery]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/01/12233736/SDMRI-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=12905</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Bay of Bengal and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coral Reefs, Fishing, Oceans, Plastic, Pollution, and Waste management]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Dive into the clear, shallow waters of the Gulf of Mannar and you&#8217;d be met with more than a hundred species of corals. Among these vivid corals of varying shapes and sizes live thousands of reef-fish that locals depend on for food and income. However, corals in some parts of this narrow strip of ocean [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Dive into the clear, shallow waters of the Gulf of Mannar and you&#8217;d be met with more than a hundred species of corals. Among these vivid corals of varying shapes and sizes live thousands of reef-fish that locals depend on for food and income. However, corals in some parts of this narrow strip of ocean separating the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka now don some very odd-looking ornaments. Ghost nets (as abandoned fishing nets are called) envelop the finger-like branches of some, while torn lines, ropes and discarded plastic fish traps are littered on others. Around 1,150 square metres of reefs in the Gulf are covered in marine debris. That amounts to a very small portion of coral cover in the Gulf, but that hasn&#8217;t stopped researchers from raising concerns about the threat it poses to the waters biodiversity. Corals of the Gulf Threats are aplenty for corals in the Gulf of Mannar. To start, coral reefs worldwide feel the impact of the change in climate since anthropogenic global warming – the human-caused heating up of the earth&#8217;s atmosphere – warms up the sea too. And when sea surface temperatures increase in such cases, corals become stressed. They lose their (often brilliant) colours and appear ghostly white, or “bleached”. If the water temperatures stay high for several days at a stretch, bleached corals can die. Natural threats – such as coral-feasting fish and sponges, and diseases (such as the pink spot disease, a larval infection that&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/01/ghosts-of-the-gulf-marine-debris-a-threat-to-corals-in-the-gulf-of-mannar/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Cyclones made coral recovery quicker in Gulf of Mannar this year</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/08/cyclones-made-coral-recovery-quicker-in-gulf-of-mannar-this-year/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/08/cyclones-made-coral-recovery-quicker-in-gulf-of-mannar-this-year/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>31 Aug 2020 09:49:06 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ankita Sengupta]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/08/30131055/Healthy-corals-2-SDMRI-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=11163</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Coral Reefs, Extreme Weather Events, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Cyclonic disturbances between April and May in the Bay of Bengal caused massive destruction in West Bengal and Bangladesh in the form of Amphan in May this year. However, they seem to have had a positive impact on corals in the Gulf of Mannar, one of the major coral reef areas in India, by reducing [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Cyclonic disturbances between April and May in the Bay of Bengal caused massive destruction in West Bengal and Bangladesh in the form of Amphan in May this year. However, they seem to have had a positive impact on corals in the Gulf of Mannar, one of the major coral reef areas in India, by reducing bleaching and assisting faster recovery of the corals. According to a recent study, researchers found that not only did the cyclonic and other mild disturbances reduce instances of bleaching in the south-eastern tip of the country, they also allowed the already bleached corals to recover, at least a month before schedule. This research is likely to be published as a part of a scientific study later this year. When scientists from Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute (SDMRI) in Thoothukodi, along with Tamil Nadu Forest Department, conducted a survey in the Gulf of Mannar to check for coral bleaching in April-May, they discovered that the corals were significantly healthier than expected during that part of the year. During another study conducted in the last week of July the researchers found that the corals, which had experienced mild bleaching, had already recovered. Under usual circumstances, the corals recover in September, a couple of months after the monsoon sets in. According to K. Diraviya Raj, assistant professor at SDMRI, annual coral bleaching and subsequent recovery during the summer months is common in Gulf of Mannar. “The corals start to bleach when the sea surface temperature rises by 2-3&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/08/cyclones-made-coral-recovery-quicker-in-gulf-of-mannar-this-year/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Lakshadweep unveils world&#8217;s first sea cucumber conservation reserve</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/05/lakshadweep-unveils-worlds-first-sea-cucumber-conservation-reserve/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/05/lakshadweep-unveils-worlds-first-sea-cucumber-conservation-reserve/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>05 May 2020 12:38:48 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[K.A. Shaji]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/05/05103914/sea-cucumber-banner-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=9677</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species and India's Iconic Landscapes]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Coral Reefs, Oceans, Protected Areas, Wildlife Protection Act, and Wildlife Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Hardly three months have gone by since a special protection force assigned by the administration of Union Territory of Lakshadweep seized 1716 sea cucumbers from an uninhabited island named Suhali. Weighing 882 kgs and priced at Rs. 4.26 crore in the international market, the shipment was kept ready for smuggling to Sri Lanka. According to marine biologists, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Hardly three months have gone by since a special protection force assigned by the administration of Union Territory of Lakshadweep seized 1716 sea cucumbers from an uninhabited island named Suhali. Weighing 882 kgs and priced at Rs. 4.26 crore in the international market, the shipment was kept ready for smuggling to Sri Lanka. According to marine biologists, the seizure was the largest ever of its kind in the entire world. It was a tip-off from the local fish workers that helped the task force to reach Suhali in time on February 12, to seize the shipment hidden in an unseen corner of the coral reefs. The solitary island is located about 60 km away in the sea from Kavaratti, the capital of the cluster of islands. Though no one has been arrested so far, the New Delhi headquarters of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the investigation since the third week of March, keeping in view the gravity of the issue and based on recommendations of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau of India (WCCB). According to Jafer Hisham, marine researcher and a member of the Lakshadweep Biodiversity Council, sea cucumbers are named so because of their resemblance to the vegetable. Generally found on the seafloor, they possess leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single-branched gonad. An endangered species often vulnerable to poaching, sea cucumbers have been the target of seafood mafia operating in the Indian Ocean region. The illegal transnational trade has been occurring in the Lakshadweep region, despite&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/05/lakshadweep-unveils-worlds-first-sea-cucumber-conservation-reserve/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Artificial reefs breathe new life for Tamil Nadu’s fishing communities</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/02/artificial-reefs-breathe-new-life-for-tamil-nadus-fishing-communities/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/02/artificial-reefs-breathe-new-life-for-tamil-nadus-fishing-communities/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Feb 2020 11:57:23 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mahima Jain]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[S. Gopikrishna Warrier]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/02/11111904/AR-Mahima-A-Jain-Jan-2020-7-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=8581</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Eco Hope]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Community based conservation, Coral Reefs, Fish, Fishing, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Reefs do not come to mind when one thinks of India’s coastline as coral reef establishments are limited to the waters around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar. However, when fishermen from Poompuhar, Tamil Nadu, reported that their fish catch was declining, the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Reefs do not come to mind when one thinks of India’s coastline as coral reef establishments are limited to the waters around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar. However, when fishermen from Poompuhar, Tamil Nadu, reported that their fish catch was declining, the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Development Corporation (TNFDC) stepped in with the solution of deploying artificial reefs. Artificial reefs (AR) are man-made structures deployed on generally featureless seabed to create a substratum to support a variety of marine life or where existing natural reefs have been destroyed. An AR can serve several purposes – recreational activities (surfing, scuba diving, snorkelling, tourism), disaster management, coastal protection, managing and promoting marine biodiversity, increasing fish catch, and preventing trawling. “It is important to identify the needs of the area and the community before installing an AR, as the models can vary with the purpose,” explained S. Velvizhi, principal scientist at MSSRF’s Fish for All centre.  “The AR project here aims to improve fish stocks by creating a sustainable marine ecosystem, thus providing a secure source of livelihood for local, traditional fisherfolk.” The demand for such intervention came after villagers from Poompuhar heard of the success of the year-old AR project from the neighbouring coastal villages in Karaikal, Puducherry. Shaktivel, 35, a fisherman from Tirumalairayan Pattinam, Karaikal, said that for some time now even as fish stocks were declining due to various reasons and operational costs of fishing were&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/02/artificial-reefs-breathe-new-life-for-tamil-nadus-fishing-communities/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Study explores recovery patterns of corals in Palk Bay after the 2016 bleaching event</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2019/12/study-explores-recovery-patterns-of-corals-in-palk-bay-after-the-2016-bleaching-event/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2019/12/study-explores-recovery-patterns-of-corals-in-palk-bay-after-the-2016-bleaching-event/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Dec 2019 11:36:03 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Neha Jain]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2019/12/25003038/Healthy-Favites-colonies-next-to-severely-bleached-Favia-Photo-by-T.-Thinesh-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=8019</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[India's Iconic Landscapes]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Coast, Coral Reefs, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Record high oceanic temperatures triggered an unprecedented global-scale coral bleaching event from 2014 to 2017, which was the longest-lasting and most severe. More than 75 percent of the world’s tropical reefs—the most diverse ecosystems in the world—were exposed to bleaching-level heat stress and many corals perished. But different coral taxa responded differently to the high [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Record high oceanic temperatures triggered an unprecedented global-scale coral bleaching event from 2014 to 2017, which was the longest-lasting and most severe. More than 75 percent of the world’s tropical reefs—the most diverse ecosystems in the world—were exposed to bleaching-level heat stress and many corals perished. But different coral taxa responded differently to the high sea surface temperatures, depending on the location of reefs—some recovered quickly while others died. Indian coral reefs are poorly studied compared with those in the Caribbean or the Great Barrier Reef, for example, and as a result, many lack baseline data. A study published earlier this year revealed how coral taxa in Palk Bay, off the Tamil Nadu coast, responded to the severe summer bleaching event of 2016. The branching coral genus Acropora was the most susceptible to bleaching while Favites emerged as the most resistant. And post-bleaching, Acropora shifted to hosting a type of symbiont of microalgae that is more heat-resistant, found the researchers, in what comprised the first observation of coral symbiont diversity in an Indian reef. Many reef-building corals normally house microalgae from the family Symbiodiniaceae, also known as zooxanthellae, inside their tissues. Algae are responsible for giving corals their colour and are referred to as symbionts because they form a partnership with corals where both of them benefit: corals provide algae shelter and nutrients and in return algae produce food for corals by performing photosynthesis. But this fragile relationship breaks down when prolonged high sea surface temperatures trigger corals to expel&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2019/12/study-explores-recovery-patterns-of-corals-in-palk-bay-after-the-2016-bleaching-event/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Towards better prediction of coral bleaching</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2019/11/towards-better-prediction-of-coral-bleaching/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2019/11/towards-better-prediction-of-coral-bleaching/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Nov 2019 14:46:25 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aathira Perinchery]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2019/11/22170133/2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=7682</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[India's Iconic Landscapes]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Coral Reefs, Impacts of Climate Change, Oceans, and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Off the coast of Red Skin Island in the Andamans, it was a colourful world that marine biologist Vardhan Patankar dived into in the summer of 2016. Here, corals wore colours ranging from fluorescent greens to earthy browns. Fish life – including damselfish, snappers, sturgeons, angelfish, squirrelfish and butterflyfish – matched the corals in colour [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Off the coast of Red Skin Island in the Andamans, it was a colourful world that marine biologist Vardhan Patankar dived into in the summer of 2016. Here, corals wore colours ranging from fluorescent greens to earthy browns. Fish life – including damselfish, snappers, sturgeons, angelfish, squirrelfish and butterflyfish – matched the corals in colour and diversity. But when Patankar re-visited the same site a week later, he was shocked. Coral colours had paled visibly, and most of the reef fish had disappeared. In another week, only ghostly white coral skeletons remained. Coral bleaching – the phenomenon where global warming-caused warmer water temperatures stresses corals by expelling polyps (tiny animals whose secretions create the coral structures) that live in it – was happening right before his eyes. &#8220;It was extremely depressing to watch,&#8221; recalls Patankar, scientist at the Wildlife Conservation Society-India. But it was not unexpected: a global alert – based on changes in sea surface water temperatures obtained from satellites – had warned most marine biologists including Patankar about potential coral bleaching worldwide. But while the Andaman islands faced widespread and severe bleaching, the nearby Nicobar islands did not despite the prediction that it would. While Patankar collected data on this in the Andaman-Nicobar island complexes that year, 19 other scientists across 11 tropical countries were doing the same. Their results, published recently in the journal Nature Climate Change, reveal that contemporary predictions of coral bleaching based on a simple threshold of sea surface temperatures alone may not be accurate&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2019/11/towards-better-prediction-of-coral-bleaching/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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