Hard coral diversity along southwest coast of India

Abstract

Patchy growths of hard corals are found to occur off Vizhinjam and Enayam along the southwest coast of India. This study gives the result of survey conducted off Vizhinjam and Enayam for assessment of the coral cover and biodiversity following Line Intercept Transect method. A total of 13 species belonging to six genera of Scleractinians was represented in this study. The most common genus Pocillopora was represented by five species. Relative abundance values were derived for each species and they were assigned the status dominant, abundant, common, uncommon and rare. Pocillopora verucosa and P. meandrina were assigned the status ‘dominant’ in Vizhinjam and Montipora aequituberculata in Enayam. Pocillopora damicornis belonged to the category ‘abundant’ and all the other species were either of ‘common’ or ‘uncommon’ status only. Biodiversity indices such as Pielou’s Evenness Index; Shannon Diversity Index and Simpson Diversity Index were also determined for each site. The coral fauna in structure and composition was more related to Gulf of Mannar than any other reef.