Massive bleaching of corals in Lakshadweep, MoES tells Parliament
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) said in April that the world is experiencing a global coral bleaching event
Around 84.6% of coral reefs in Lakshadweep experienced bleaching during 2023-24, the Ministry of Earth Sciences informed (MoES) Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Minister of State (MoES) for Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh, in a response to a query raised by BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy, said the Fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event (GCBE4) severely impacted regions such as Lakshadweep.
“In India, the Fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event (GCBE4) has impacted regions such as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Gulf of Mannar, Lakshadweep, and Gulf of Kutch,” Singh said in his response.
The minister was responding to a query raised by Rudy on whether GCBE4 affected coral reefs along the country’s coastline, the specific regions experiencing significant bleaching and the causes contributing to this event. Rudy also asked whether the Centre has undertaken any measures to map and monitor regions at risk and data on recent coral cover decline.
Also Read | Climate, tourism threaten to bleed out Lakshadweep’s corals
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) said in April that the world is experiencing a global coral bleaching event. This is the fourth global event on record and the second in the last 10 years. Bleaching-level heat stress, as remotely monitored and predicted by NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch (CRW), has been extensive across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean basins.
The ministry, in its response, pointed out that small scale bleaching was found in the South Andaman region, further saying that 15-18% reefs were affected and that most of them have recovered. Similarly, Gulf of Mannar recorded small scale bleaching in some patchy areas.
However, widespread bleaching was found in Lakshadweep where 84.6% of reefs were affected. The ministry added that most of the reefs in the region have now recovered.
On initiatives taken by the government to protect reefs and reduce stress, Jitendra Singh said, “Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has been collecting coral reef data through in-situ observations, focusing on restoration strategies and ecological threats from 2002 onwards.”
Singh said that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been established and expanded to limit human activities, thus promoting the recovery of coral reefs. He also pointed out India’s largest coral translocation project in the Gulf of Kutch, where 16,000 corals were moved to new locations to aid reef restoration.
HT, along with the Pulitzer Center, published a series of stories in September on how Lakshadweep’s coral reefs were impacted by climate crisis especially severe marine heat waves since October 2023. The series covered how impacts of climate change along with mega tourism and infrastructure plans are threatening the fragile balance in Lakshadweep, which has a land area of only 32 sqkm with 10 inhabited and 26 uninhabited islands.
Preliminary results from the project on Inventory of Indian Coral Reefs by Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad, indicates apparent loss of reef area for Malvan reef in Maharashtra over a period of 13 years (2007 to 2020). The same condition is observed for four reefs (Koswari, Nalla Tanni Tivu, Pichaimoopan Valasai and Shingle reef) over a period of 12 to 14 years (2004/05 to 2018) out of the eleven reefs mapped for Gulf of Mannar, the response added.
