Brief on the Contribution of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute to Research and Knowledge of Coral Reefs of India

The coral reefs found in different parts of the coasts of the Indian mainland and Lakshadweep and Andaman Islands have always been a subject of scientific interest and fascination. They include the sensitive fringing reef ecosystems in the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, Gulf of Kutch and the atolls of the Lakshadweep Islands and the continental island reefs of Andaman and Nicobar, all covering an estimated area of about 1217 sq. km. These coral reefs support myriads of beautiful organisms and present a pristine seascape, which thrilled nature loving tourists, biologists and students. Their rich and varied biological diversity, parallel to the tropical rain forests, is being degraded by man for various extractive and nonextractive uses. The coral reefs which constitutes an important coastal life supporting system, contribute significantly to the sustained production of commercially exploited sea weeds, lobsters, crabs, bivalves, gastropods, cephalopods, holothourians, table fishes and ornamental finfishes belonging to many taxa. The Indian coral reef ecosystems are estimated to be capable of a fish production potential of 1.8 to 2.7 lakh tonnes per year. The social, economic and biological value of these ecosystems has therefore been recognised by the CMFRI in the early 1960 s itself as one of the priority areas for fundamental as well as applied research