What is it about?
Globally, coral reefs are degrading rapidly due to the combined impact of wide-scale anthropogenic activities and climate change. Similarly, coral reefs in India are facing an existential threat because of intensified environmental degradation, which challenges reef ecosystem resilience and socio-ecological stability. Recently, Govt. of India has taken up the ‘SagarMala Programme’ aiming to increase its port capacity by the expansion of existing ports, construction of several new ports and allied infrastructure development by 2025. Synergistic impact of coastal development coupled with the on-going environmental changes is deemed to accelerate coral reef degradation in Indian reefs. Therefore, the present article aims to highlight the urgency of positive intervention and initiation of long-term holistic coral reef restoration program as an active reef management tool. Along with conventional management practices, reef restoration program could curtail further reef degradation and will ensure the persistence of Indian coral reefs and the services they provide.
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Perspectives
Corals in India are stressed by increasing human perturbations and climate change. Studies and projections indicate shortfall in traditional conservation practices. Scientific restoration techniques to be employed to sustain coral reefs in India Coral translocation can ameliorate possible dire impacts by coastal development. Financial commitments of reef restoration projects may be secured from the developers.
Mr Kalyan De
National Institute of Oceanography, India
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Coral reef restoration - A way forward to offset the coastal development impacts on Indian coral reefs, Marine Pollution Bulletin, December 2019, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110504.
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