FISHERIES RESOURCE MANAGEMENT;2017-18;Ph.D

1. WEST-BENGAL UNIVERSITY OF
ANIMAL AND FISHERY SCIENCES
SEMINAR-II

2.  Corals are marine invertebrates in the class Anthozoa of Phylum Cnidaria. They typically
live in compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. The group includes the
important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a
hard skeleton.
 Coral reefs are diverse underwater ecosystems held together by calcium
carbonate structures secreted by corals. Often called “Rainforests of the Sea", shallow
coral reefs form some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. Corals can be found
throughout the oceans, from deep, cold waters to shallow, tropical waters.
 Shallow coral reefs can be found at depths of 91 m with water temperature ranging from 21-
29o C.
 Corals mainly need salt water to survive.
 Other factors influencing coral distribution are availability of hard-bottom substrate, the
availability of food such as plankton, and the presence of species that help control macro
algae, sea urchins and herbivorous fish.
What is Coral?

3. Types of Corals
Ahermatypic Coral (Soft)Hermatypic Coral (Hard)
 This is mainly stony corals that build
reefs.
 They obtain their energy requirement
from Zooxanthella.
 They secrete calcium carbonate to form
hard skeleton.
 Examples: Brain coral, Pillar coral,
Rock Coral.
 They are mainly soft coral that can not
able to build reefs.
 They have no Zooxanthella.
 Their skeletons are proteineous rather
than calcareous.
 Examples: Sea whips,Sea feather,Sea
pen.

4. IMAGES OF SOME HARD CORAL
Pillar coral
Brain coral
Rock coral

5. IMAGES OF SOME SOFT CORALS
Sea fan Sea whip
Black coral Sea plumes

6. •Total coral reef area in India approximately 5790 sq. kms.
•There are four major coral reefs present in India.
•Gulf of Mannar.
•Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
•Lakshadweep Islands.
•Gulf of Kutchch.
• Maximum areas being in Andaman and Nicobar Islands followed by Lakshadweep,
Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu coast.
• All the three major reef type, viz. Atoll, Fringing and Barrier occur in India.
• The coral reefs are classified depending on their locations into fringing, patch, barrier
and atoll.
•On the main land coral reef formations are found in the Palk Bay, Gulf of Mannar, Gulf
of Kutch and Malwan coast.
Coral Reef Distribution in India

7. Species Diversity of Corals in India
Locality Genera Species
Andaman Islands 31 82
Nicobar Islands 43 103
Lakshdweep Islands 37 103
Gulf of Kutchch 24 37
Gulf of Mannar 36 96
Total 37 199

8. Threats of Coral Reefs
Natural Stresses
Storms, waves, cyclones, EI Nino.
Tsunamic occurrences.
Biotic Stresses
Sedimentation
Chemical and Oil Pollution
Bleaching
Coral Diseases like white band diseases, black band disease and bacterial/fungal
infection. (Gulf of manner and Lakshadweep)
Predator: Echinoderm Acanthaster planci (The crown-of-thorns starfish).
Destructive fishing practices like blast fishing ,cyanide fishing and trap
fishing.

10. Ocean heat wave could kill 5% of World’s corals
 At Oslo, corals reefs are suffering a severe underwater heat water this year for the third
time on record, including a mysterious warm patch in the Pacific ocean known as “
The Blob”. The bout of record high temperature in parts of the oceans, stoked by climate
change, is expected to kill more than 12,000 sq. kms of reefs, or about 5% of the global
total.
 This is the third time of severe global bleaching event in the world said Mark Eakin,
coordinator at NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch. Now 2015 has seen coral bleaching
occurring in reefs in the northern Pacific, Indian, equatorial Pacific, and western
Atlantic Oceans. A vast mass of warm water known as “The Blob” in the north eastern
Pacific has harmed corals, including in Hawaii.
………… National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA)

11. Coral Reefs Conservation Strategy in India
 The wild life protection act 1972 –Scleractinians and Gorgonids coral - July 2001
 Coastal Regulation Zone notification - 1991 prohibition on collection of coral
 First International symposium on coral reefs – 1969
 Government of India - collaborating with Australia, trained three scientists in Australia on
coral taxonomy with a view to capacity building to strengthen reef research.
 National Institute of Coral Reef research at Port Blair - Zoological Survey of India,
small laboratory with limited staff is established.
 National Institute of Oceanography and Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute are the
major national centers of current reef research.
 Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute Tuticorin Tamil Nadu is a private
organization that is very actively engaged in reef research in Gulf of Mannar
 Reef restoration and coral transplantation; Reproductive biology of corals
 Studies on the physical and biological impact on reefs GIS based mapping of reefs.
 Livelihood programme on coastal population to reduce anthropogenic pressure; Awareness
creation on the value of reefs and need for conservation.

12. What is Mangrove?
 The Sundarbans, covering some 10,000 sq.km. of mangrove forest and water (of which
some 40% is in India and the rest in Bangladesh), is part of the world’s largest delta
(80,000 sq. km.) formed from sediments deposited by three great rivers, the Ganges,
Brahmaputra and Meghna, which coverge on the Bengal Basin.
 Geographical location of Sundarban lies south-east of Calcutta in the 24- Paraganas
District of West Bengal and forms part of the Gangetic Delta, which borders on the Bay of
Bengal.
 The Sundarbans contributes about 44% of total mangrove forest in India and are endowed
with 30 out of 53 species of true mangroves of the world.
Sundarbans:
 The word "Mangrove" is considered to be a combination of the Portuguese word
"Mangue" and the English word "grove". Mangroves are salt-tolerant plants of tropical
and subtropical intertidal regions of the world. The specific regions where these plants occur
are termed as 'mangrove ecosystem'. These are highly productive but extremely sensitive and
fragile.
 In India, mangroves occur on the West Coast, on the East Coast and on Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, but in many places they are highly degraded.
 Recent Indian Remote Sensing Data (ISFR,2015) showed that the total area of the
mangroves decreased to 4,740 km2.
 It is accounting nearly 3% of the world’s mangrove vegetation and Sundarbans is
accounting half of the total mangrove in India.

13. States wise Mangrove cover in India(1987-2013)

14. Challenges to Mangrove Forests
Natural:
 Cyclones, typhoons and strong wave action (Naskar and Mandal, 1999), especially in the
geographically vulnerable Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
 Infestation by barnacles which attach to young seedlings, interfering with respiration and
photosynthesis and delaying seedling growth (Hong, 1996)
 Crabs, which attack young seedlings, girdle the root collars and eat the fleshy tissues of
the propagules- a serious problem in the Middle Andamans, although not noticed in Goa
 Manmade:
 Anthropogenic activities.
 Oil pollution is often harmful for survival of mangroves.
 Inorganic wastes from industrial activities include all manner of toxic materials including
heavy metal cause adversely affect this ecosystem.
 Human habitation which cause habitat destruction of the mangroves.
 Agricultural expansion.
 Harvesting from the flora and fauna for consumption.

15. The strategy adopted
 Afforestation of degraded mangrove areas.
 Full protection of mangrove flora and fauna by banning the extraction of mangrove wood
from government forests. Afforestation of degraded mangrove areas.
 Identification of potential mangrove areas for declaration as national parks and sanctuaries
 Restoration of degraded and critical mangrove areas by planting of suitable species.
 Identification of endangered mangrove species and full protection for their rehabilitation.
 Checking encroachment, destruction and reclamation of mangrove areas.
 Monitoring changes in mangrove area, floristic and faunal composition and physiography.
 Raising awareness among the pubic on the importance of mangroves and the need for their
preservation.
 The government should introduced a scheme for mangrove conservation and protection.
 Nationwide mapping of the mangrove areas, preferably by remote sensing techniques
coupled with land surveys, and time series to assess the rate of degradation of the ecosystems.
 The activities are subject to regulations set by the various provincial conservation
authorities and enforcement of these controls is very important.

16. What is Seaweeds?
 The Seaweeds are macro-phytic algae, a primitive type of plants lacking true roots,
stems and leaves. The term includes some members of, the red, brown and green algae.
The study of seaweed is known as Phycology.
 They were found attached to the bottom, in relatively shallow coastal waters areas up-to
180 meter depth, on solid substrate such as rocks, dead corals, pebbles, shells and plants.
 There are about 900 species of green seaweed, 4000 red species and 1500 brown
species found in nature. Economic importance some 221 species of seaweed are utilized
commercially.
Green Seaweed Brown Seaweed Red Seaweed

17. What is Seagrass?
 Seagrasses are flowering plants that have adapted to living in salt water.
Seagrasses are found mostly on soft sediment in estuaries and shallow
coastal waters and are frequently found growing in dense beds.
 There are around 14 species of sea grasses have been documented from the coast of
India belonging to the 7 genera.

18. Seagrass Sea weeds
Complex root structure to anchor plant in
the sediment, and extract nutrients and
minerals.
Simple holdfast to anchor to hard
substrate such as rocks or shells.
Photosynthesis restricted to cells in leaves Photosynthesis undertaken by all cells
Transport minerals and nutrients in
aerenchyma and the lacunae (veins)
Uptake of minerals and nutrients from water
column via diffusion
Reproduction via flowers, fruits and seeds Reproduction via spores
Difference between Seaweed & Seagrass?

19. Seaweed resources in India
 Seaweeds grow abundantly along the Tamil Nadu and Gujarat coasts and around
Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar islands.
 According to CMFRI 2017-18 annual report 20576 tones of sea weeds landed.
 The other places in the east and west coast where rich seaweed beds occur are Bombay,
Karwar, Ratnagiri, Goa, Vizhinjam, Pulicat and Chilka (Kaliaperumal el al 1987).
 The agar yielding seaweeds Gracilaria arcuala and G. verrucosa and carrageenan
yielding seaweed Hypnea valentiae also occur in harvestable quantities in some estuaries
and backwaters of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry (Kalimuthu el al 1995).
Seagrass resources in India
 In India, seagrass meadows can be found on the eastern and western coast, in
Lakshadweep islands as well as in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
 Large seagrass beds are present in Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar.
 The Gulf of Mannar harbours the highest concentration (11 nos) of seagrass species in
India.
 Around fourteen species are found around the Indian coast, of which nine can be found in
the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

20. Importance of Sea Grass
Importance of Sea Weeds
1. Providing food and habitat for other marine organisms.
2. Maintaining water quality.
3. They are primary producers that contnbute large quantities of fixed carbon (the basis
4. of ail food chains) to coastal ecosystems.
5. Supporting local economies.
6. Seagrasses were collected as fertilizer for sandy soil.
7. Dried seagrasses were used as a mattress.
8. It is also used for bandages and other purposes.
1. Human Food- Seaweeds are extensively used as food by coastal people, particularly in
East Asia, e.g. Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Porphyra (Nori),
Laminaria (Kombu) and Undaria (Wakame) are used for making fish and meat dishes
as well as soups and accompaniments.
2. Mineral elements from the sea weeds that can account for up to 36% of its dry mass.
3. Medicines for goiter, the thyroid swelling, Tumor.
4. Agricultural purposes - Fertilizers, Toothpaste.
5. Cosmetics
6. Also used for the extraction of industrial gums and chemicals.
7. Seaweeds are also harvested or cultivated for the extraction of alginate, agar and
carrageenan, gelatinous substances.
8. Seaweed is currently being researched as a potential source of biofuel in the form of
bioethanol.

21. Disturbances and Threats
 Storms and tidal emersions.
 Predation by herbivorous marine mammals and fishes,
 Due to the sedimentation.
 Due to the Chemical pollution.
 Due to the land development .
 Due to eutrophication.
 Macro algal blooms cause the decline and eradication of seagrasses.
 Due to the bottom trawling, in which a net is dragged along the sea floor and
damage the seaweeds and sea grasses.
 Oil when spilled in large quantities can cause severe local effects especially on
seagrass bed and associated flora and fauna.
 Marine litter is also a growing problem to the destruction of ecosystems.

22.  Proper disposal of wastes should be taken care.
 Culture of sea weeds should be done.
 Control over anthropogenic activities by enforcing rules and regulations.
 Trawlers should avoid the damage of the seaweeds and seagrass beds.
 This could start by bringing local communities, scientists, resource managers and
government officials together in symposia to design an action plan for seagrass
conservation.
 The importance of seagrass ecosystems to traditional cultures has been neglected
and deserves stronger recognition and respect.
 Mandate long-term periodical monitoring of all seagrass meadows as per national
framework; Devise evidence-based habitat restoration strategies involving
community, etc.
 An adaptive management strategy would facilitate the assemblage of multiple
knowledge systems , public education and the initiation of conservation policy in
an iterative process that would evolve as we learn how to preserve these delicate
ecosystems.
 Prepare a National Action Plan for seagrass conservation and restoration; Conduct
periodic spatial mapping of seagrasses;
Conservation Strategy of the Sea weeds and sea
grass resources in India

23. Conclusion
 The marine environment is a vital resource for life on Earth. Marine eco- systems
perform a number of key environmental functions — they regulate the climate, prevent
erosion, accumulate and distribute solar energy, absorb carbon dioxide, and maintain
biological control.
 The marine environment is also a great contributor to economic prosperity, social well-
being and quality of life. It constitutes a fund of resources which can be used to achieve
greater economic potential, so its protection is crucial. It is a precious asset; a heritage
that must be protected, conserved and properly valued.

24. Thank you