1 - Cochin University of Science and Technology

Chapter I. Introductiol/
(1997) studied the role of Godavari mangroves III the production and
survival of prawn larvae.
A study on the distribution of benthic infauna in the Cochin
backwaters in relation to environmental parameters was conducted by
Sheeba (2000). Sunil Kumar (2001, 2002) studied the macrofaunal
assemblages of mangrove ecosystem of tropical estuary as well as Indo­
pacific region. Studies on macro and meiobenthos from the shelf areas of
South west coast of India were conducted by Joydas (2002) and Sajan
Sebastian (2003) respectively. Jagtap et al. (2003) studied the status of a
seagrass ecosystem, being a sensitive wetland habitat.
1. 5. 2. Earlier Investigations in Lakshadweep
Alcock set sail on 17th October 1891 by R.M.S. Investigator and
cruised the Lakshadwcep Sea for two months and documented the flora and
fauna of Lakshadweep Island ecosystem. Gardiner (1900) described the
atoll of Minicoy. The Cambridge University Expedition under the
Jeadership of Prof. J. Stanley Gardiner was a significant event in the marine
biological and oceanographic research in these waters and the results were
reported in 2 volumes of 'Fauna and Geography of the Maldive and
Laccadive Archipelagos' (Gardiner (Ed.) 1903, 1906 a & b). These
volumes covered descriptions of marine invertebrates from Minicoy atoll
which included foraminifera, corals, coelenterates, nemertines, echiuroides,
sipunculoids, stomatopods, lobsters, alphids, molluscs and echinoderms by
earlier investigators like Borradaile (1903), Shipley (1903 a & b),
Lanchester (1903), Coutiere (1906), Eliot (1906) etc. Later, Hornell (1910)
and Ayyengar (1922) explored the same area. Ellis (1924) provided a short
account on the Laccadive Islands and Minicoy. The importance of the
water in this region and its special ecological conditions were reported by
Jones (1959) and Jayaraman et al. (1966). Patil and Ramamirtham (1963)
observed the current circulatory patterns in Lakshadweep sea during winter
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