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Coral resources of india with special reference to Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar

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Relation http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/2766/
 
Title Coral resources of india with special reference to Palk Bay
and Gulf of Mannar
 
Creator Pillai, C S G
 
Subject Coral Reefs
 
Description Coral formations are found within the seas around India, in the Gulf of Kiitch, in Andaman and Nicobar
Islands, in Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar on the eastern coast and in the Laccadive Archipelago. In the
former areas we have fringing reefs whereas the whole of Laccadives are atolls. These reefs harbour a rich and
varied coral fauna of appreciable economic importance. The black coral of commerce—Antipatharia—is
found to occur in the Gulf of Mannar and in the Laccadives at a depth of about 5 to 200 metres. But the
feasibility of their commercial exploitation still remains to be ascertained. The blue coral (Heliopora) is
available in large scale in Laccadives at moderate depths.
The most important commercially valuable corals of the Indian coasts are the scleractinias. They form
a major source of calcium carbonate and are used in the preparation of calcium carbide, lime and cement, besides
as building blocks and in the construction of roads. The corals from Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar around
Mandapam are brought ashore in large quantities for the above purposes affording livelihood for about 500
people. A quantitative estimation of the potential exploitable stock is yot to be made. In the present paper
a qualitative analysis of the commercially important corals of this area, based on field studies and survey of
the exploited stock, is given. A few problems on conservation arc also suggested.
 
Date 1973
 
Type Conference or Workshop Item
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Identifier http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/2766/1/Article_54.pdf
Pillai, C S G (1973) Coral resources of india with special reference to Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar. In: Proceedings of the symposium on living resources of the seas around India, 1968, Mandapam Camp.