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Ecology & Environment
Mahesh

06/05/24 19:45 PM IST

Lakshadweep coral reefs

In News
  • The ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has found that coral reefs in the Lakshadweep Sea have undergone severe bleaching due to prolonged marine heatwaves since October 2023.
Coral Reefs
  • Corals are sessile animals, i.e. they permanently attach themselves to the ocean floor.
  • They are classified as either ‘hard’ or ‘soft’.
  • According to the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “Hard corals have stony skeletons made out of limestone that are produced by coral polyps. When polyps die, their skeletons are left behind and used as foundations for new polyps.”
  • These stonly coral skeletons, over thousands and millions of years, form complex coral reefs, which have often been referred to as “rainforests of the sea” — home to thousands of marine species, and vibrant ecosystems.
  • Almost all of Lakshadweep’s islands are coral atolls, with their soil largely derived from corals, and extant coral reefs around them.
Coral Bleaching
  • Coral bleaching takes place when the water is too warm.
  • In such conditions, corals expel the microscopic algae which live in their tissues, and, in simple terms, produce food for them.
  • Without these algae, corals’ tissues become transparent, exposing their white skeleton.
  • This is called coral bleaching. Bleached corals are not dead, but run the risk of starvation and disease.
  • According to experts, without their algae, corals can survive for about two weeks.
  • While Lakshadweep has been gripped by marine heat waves since October 2023, coral bleaching was spotted only last week.
  • If the water does not cool down, the bleaching can eventually lead to the death of Lakshwadeep’s corals.
  • Lakshadweep Sea has previously seen coral bleaching events in 1998, 2010 and 2015, but the scale of the current one is unprecedented.
Threats
  • The heat waves threaten livelihoods of coastal communities, tourism and fisheries sectors, and critical marine habitats, including seagrass meadows.
  • Similar to corals, seagrass meadows, kelp forests are experiencing detrimental impacts such as impaired photosynthesis, reduced growth, and hindered reproductive functions due to the heatwaves.
  • Lakshadweep is formed by coral reefs and hence the health of reefs are important for the very structure of the islands.
  • Death of coral may also lead to accumulation of organic matter, preventing the formation of corals later.
Source- Indian Express

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