Tue, Jul 8 06:37 PM
While the 2004 tsunami unleashed havoc all over South East Asia killing thousands and rendering many more homeless it proved to be a blessing in disguise for the Lakshadweep, the sole coral islands in the country.
Built on ancient volcanic formations, the precarious condition of the corals ame to light only after the tsunami struck.
"The tsunami in 2004 proved to be a blessing in disguise for the corals of Lakshadweep which were severely affected, with some reefs losing live cover by more than 90 per cent due to unusual warming of sea water in the tropical region, by about 2 degree C in the summer of 1998," says Dr M V M Wafar, senior scientist with the National Institute of Oceanography.
The coral animal, called a polyp found on rocky beaches is generally small and constructs a skeleton around its body for protection. This skeleton is termed as coral.
Normal live coral cover in a healthy reef is more than 70 per cent. However, this activity set the turning point in reef management efforts in India and particularly in Lakshadweep, which are oceanic atolls and are more sensitive to global changes.
"The government of Lakshadweep realised the need to have sustained monitoring of the reefs and help in the rapid recovery.
They also realized that involving local community is one way of ensuring this happens fast," says Dr Wafar.
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