conservation and management of coral reefs
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Introduction Referred as ‘rainforests of the sea’- diverse ecosystem
Occupy less than 1% of the world ocean surface
Home for 25% of the all marine species
Annual global economic value- US$ 375 billion
Prevent sediments from washing up & damaging the shoreline
Act as physical barrier; creates healthier, protected coastline habitat
Sequesters CO₂, create an environment which attractmarine biodiversity
Provides economic benefits
Harvested for medicinal & jewellery purposes
Critical habitats essential for the maintenance of biodiversity
Tourism (generation of foreign exchange)
Support a variety of commercial and artisanal fisheries
Attract millions of scuba divers, snorkelers, and other tourists every year
Common threat to coral reefs Anchors
Ship groundings
Divers and snorkelers
Coastal development
Collecting
Pollution, silting from land-based construction, and fertilizer runoff have led to damage to coral reefs
Reef organisms are also damaged or killed by heavy metals, pesticides, and oil
Rising sea temperatures from global warming can also destroy corals, which may otherwise destroys the symbiotic relationship between zooxanthellae
Hurricanes and earthquakes, which can also lead to significant damage to the reefs
Long term temperature changes, or changing rainfall patterns
Changes in sea level can lead to the destruction of coral reefs
Coral bleaching; individual polyps spit out their symbiotic algae
Discharge of nutrient-rich waste water (sewage, fertilizers, pesticides) into marine environments may lead to explosive algal growth; thick algal mats can smother the reef
Thermal pollution: power plant discharge of heated water is another major threat
Sedimentation: rains will carry loads of sediments directly to the sea
Disease: this is another major outbreak that limits the growth of coral [email protected]
Overfishing: particularly using habitat-destructive methods; explosives are sometimes used to stun and kill fish
Chemical poisons (including bleaches and soaps)
Boating : physical contact involving collision with or anchoring on live coral
Fishing and Collecting: In many geographic areas, reef fishes are a significant source of food, collection of fishes by blast fishing & cyanide fishing is harmful
Alteration of coastline habitats, such as cutting of mangroves, and other coastal habitats.
National & International Regulations Corals should not be collected, either alive or dead
from wild
The United States federal government prohibits the removal or destruction of corals from all areas of the continental shelf within a three-mile limit
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission prohibits the collection of living or dead stony corals (Order Scleractinia) or fire corals (Millepora spp.) within Florida waters
Collection of hard corals is also banned in Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) regulates international trade of certain vulnerable corals as well as fish species
Indo-Pacific blue coral (Heliopora coerulea; Family Helioporidae, Order Helioporacea)
Organ-pipe coral (Tubipora musica; Family Tubiporidae, Order Stolonifera
All corals in the Order Scleractinia (1634 species of reef- building, stony corals)
All corals in the order Antipatharia (245 species of black corals)
Protection the coral reefs The establishment of marine sanctuaries or preserves
The Australian government established the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in 1975
The Great Barrier Reef was designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, providing further protection to this 2,300 km (1,430 mi) long coral reef system
In United States, the NOAA National Marine Sanctuary system is composed of 14 federally-protected underwater regions
Including more than 1,50,000 square miles of ocean and Great Lakes waters
International Sanctuaries which protect coral reefs
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (Gulf of Mexico)
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (Hawaii)
Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary (American Samoa)[email protected]
Conservation and Management of Coral Reefs in India
Ministry of Environment & Forests has been identified as the nodal agency for conservation and management of coral reefs as per the Allocation of Business Rules
National Committee on Wetlands, Mangroves and Coral Reefs was constituted in 1986
Established Indian Coral Reef Monitoring Network (ICRMN)
National Coral Reef Research Centre at Port Blair
• Coral Reefs in Gulf of Mannar (Tamil Nadu) and Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been declared as Biosphere Reserve
Implementation of Management Action Plans on identified coral reef areas, training and capacity building in taxonomy, bio-physical methods and scuba diving
Establishment of Database Network and Website on Coral Reefs
The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification (1991) issued by Government of India under the Dredging and underwater blasting in and around coral formations is also prohibited
The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 : All Reef-building, Fire and Sea Fan Corals put in Schedule-I of the Act (Prohibited from exploitation)
Implementation of UNDP-PDF-B Project on Management of Coral Reefs in Andamans
Implementation of India-Australia Training and Capacity Building (IATCB) Project on Coral Reefs
Establishment of National Focal Points of Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) and Coral Reef Degradation in Indian Ocean (CORDIO) are jointly contributing for the conservation of coral reefs
CRZ have constituted National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA) at the Centre, and 13 CZMAs at States/Union Territories
Formulation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plans (ICZMP) by Coastal States
Marine National Parks
Six Marine National Parks
Gulf of Mannar
Gulf of Kutch
Bhitarkanika National Park
Mahatma Gandhi Wandoor National Park,
Rani Jhansi Marine National Park
Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary
The largest MNP is the the Gulf of Mannar (10,500 sq. kms)
Precautions to be taken Tourists should make sure not to sit on, stand on, or
even touch live coral
Divers or snorkelers should rest by floating or standing on the sandy bottom near the coral reefs
Should be very careful not to grab on to any coral formations
Take photos of coral reefs rather than collecting dead or living coral, which damages the reef and is prohibited in many areas.
Boaters should take care when navigating around the coral reefs
Anchors shouldn't be dropped directly on the reef, but on a near-by sandy area
Purchase fish that have been aquarium raised rather than collecting from the wild
WHAT CAN WE DO TO SUSTAIN CORAL REEFS?
Laws need to be strictly enforced
Building artificial reefs (in-situ/transplanted)
Focus on prevention and not just restoration
