Part 1 - English version (PDF) - Convention on Biological Diversity

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India’s Fourth National Report to the <strong>Convention</strong> on Biological Diversity 1.5 MARINE AND COASTAL BIODIVERSITY India with a coastline of about 8,000 km, and an EEZ of 2.02 million sq km, shows a very wide range of coastal ecosystems like estuaries, lagoons, mangroves, backwaters, salt marshes, rocky coasts, and stretches and coral reefs which are characterized by rich and unique biodiversity components (Venkataraman and Wafar 2005). Diverse range of coastal habitats and major ecosystems in coastal states of India is depicted in Fig 1.11. Figure 1.11 : Coverage of major ecosystems in coastal states of India (in sq km) Status of marine flora and fauna As elsewhere in the world, the extent of marine biodiversity in India is relatively less known. However, among the Asian countries, India is perhaps the only one country that has a long record of inventories of coastal and marine biodiversity dating back to at least two centuries. The synthesis of available information on coastal and marine biodiversity of India reveals that the number of species known is more than 13,000 (Table 1.21). Analysis of current inventory of coastal and marine biodiversity of India reveals that many groups that are commercially and tropically important are the ones that have been extensively inventorised, leaving several groups, notably the minor phyla grossly understudied (Venkataraman and Wafar 2005). The interesting and fairly well-surveyed groups include: Marine algae – 844 species, 217 genera; Sponges and hard corals – sponges 451 species and hard corals – 218 species.; Crustaceans – 2,934(+) species (Copepoda- 1,925; Cirripedes – 104; Amphipoda – 139; Brachura – 705; Prawns – 243; Stomatopoda -121; Cladocera – 3; Ostracoda – 120; Isopoda; Anomura – 162; Lobesters – 26; Mysids – 3). Diversity of crustaceans in different known sites is as follows: Gulf of Kachchh – 69; Lakshadweep – 45; Palk Bay – 381; Andman Islands – 853 species). Mollusca, Echinodermata and Fishes – Mollusca 3,370 species; Echinodermata – 765; Fishes – 2,456. A comparison of known Indian marine fauna vis-a-vis global estimates is given in Table 1.20. 46
Overview of Biodiversity: Status, Trends and Threats Table 1.20: Comparison of marine faunal diversity in the world and India Group World India Total aquatic Marine Protista 31,250 2,577 750 Mesozoa 71 10 10 Porifera 4,562 519 486 Cnidaria 9,916 817 790 Ctenophora 100 12 12 Gastrotricha 3,000 88 88 Kinorhyncha 100 99 99 Platyhelminthes 17,500 4,920 550 Annelida 12,700 842 440 Mollusca 66,535 5,050 3,370 Bryozoa 4,000 194 184 Crustacea 35,534 2,994 2,440 Meristomata 4 2 2 Pycnogonidae 600 16 16 Sipuncula 145 38 38 Echiura 127 33 33 Tardigrada 514 30 10 Chaetognatha 111 30 30 Echinodermata 6,223 765 765 Hemichordata 120 12 12 Protochordata 2,106 116 116 Pisces 21,723 2,546 1,800 Amphibia 5,150 204 3 Reptilia 5,817 446 26 Aves 9,026 1,228 145 Mammalia 4,629 372 29 Total 2,41,563 23,960 12,244+ Status of coral reefs Coral reefs are the protectors of the coastlines of the maritime states. The coastal populations of India mostly depend on the coral reef ecosystems. In India, major coral reef ecosystems are Gulf of Mannar, Gulf of Kachchh, Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands which embrace all the three major reef types (atoll, fringing and barrier) and include diverse and extensive reef areas of the Indian Ocean. The total area of coral reefs in India has been estimated as 2,375 sq km (Ministry of Earth Sciences (MES) and and Space Application Centre (SAC), 1997). The GOI and UNDP GEF Field Mission reported a total of 234 species of scleractinian corals from Andaman group of islands of which 111 are supposed to be new records to India. The underwater field mission revealed that the coral reefs of the Andaman Islands are globally significant in terms of their diversity. The Andaman Islands have around 80% of the global coral diversity, suggesting that a final count could reach up to 400 species. These include 15 families, 60 genera and 208 species of Scleractinia (reef building and hermatypic corals) from four major reefs of India such as Gulf of Kachchh (36 species, 20 genera) Lakshadweep (91 species, 34 genera), Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay (82 species 27 genera) Andaman and Nicobar Islands (177 species, 57 genera). Patterson et al (2007) updated the number of coral species in Gulf of Mannar to 117 belonging to 40 genera. The shallow reefs of the Gulf of Mannar had about 41% coral cover and a large proportion of old, dead and turfed corals (32%). The coral fauna of the Gulf of Kachchh includes 34 species of 20 genera of hermatype corals and three species of genera of ahermatype corals. The submerged reefs of this area can be classified into four zones such as shoreward reef, back reef, surface reef and oceanic reef. There are 12 families, 34 genera and 91 species of corals in Lakshadweep Islands. Families such as Astrocoeniidae, Pectiniidae and Trachyphylliidae are absent. Among the 60 genera recorded in India, only 34 are reported so far from here. 47
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