By K Venkataraman
The author is Former Director, Zoological Survey of India, Senior Scientific Consultant, National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Chennai.
venkyzsi56@gmail.com
As per available data, there are 21,663 marine species in India, of which, 20,444 are faunal communities. However, in the absence of adequate documentation, the exact numbers are uncertain, and so is the status of India’s marine biodiversity.
Ameliorative measures to restore damaged ecosystem in India include transplanting corals at the Marine National Park in the Gulf of Kutch as a measure to restore coral ecosystem.
Molluscs (oysters and clams): The diversity of molluscs from various parts of the world varies from 80,000 to 1,50,000. In India, malacological studies began in the early-20th century. The ZSI, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) and several maritime universities have contributed immensely to the knowledge of molluscan fauna. In India, 5100 species of molluscs have been discovered from freshwater (183 species), land (1487) and from marine habitats (3400) (Subba Rao, 1991, 1998 and 2000). The Andaman and Nicobar have...
