06-bioresourcesstatu.. - M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation

transport facility, particularly during the monsoon
months from May to August is provided by the
Helicopter service. Cargo and provisions are
carried to the Islands by 4 ships. Privately owned
Manjus and Government owned barges are also
used to transport' goods from Mangalore, Cochin
and Beypore to the Islands. Internal transport
used are bicycles, motorized two wheelers, auto
rickshaws, tractors and for official purposes jeeps
and cars.
IV. Biodiversity And Conservation Values
i. Coral reef Biodiversity
The Lakshadweep archipelago consists entirely of
coral reefs, the most diverse of all marine
ecosystems. Coral reefs are known to host many
ievels of biodiversity ranging from planktonic
organisms to sharks. The dominant species on
reefs are corals and fishes. During the past nine
decades, several studies in this region have been
undertaken by the National Institute of
Oceanography; The Zoological Survey of India
(ZSI) and The Central Marine Fisheries Research
Institute (CMFRI). The ZSI carried out extensive
surveys in 1982-87and published in 1991, a volume
on the fauna of Lakshadweep. Similarly the
CMFRI carried out a survey from January to
March 1987 to study the fishery potential which
culminated in the publication of a special issue on
Lakshadweep (CMFRI bulletin 43, 1989).
The coral fauna of Lakshadweep is known to
harbor a total of 105 species divided among 37
genera (Pillai, 1996). Rodrigues (1996) has
recorded 29 new records for species in
Lakshadweep (annexure - 1). The Lagoon and reef
flat faunal elements are dominated by Accropra
spp, Pocillopora spp., Porities spp., and massive
and encrusting favids. Psammocora spp is
common in the northern islands. There is a
profusion of blue coral (Helipora coerulea.
Millepora spp) which forms the dominant element
in the lagoon. (PilIai, 1996). Eighty six species of
macrophytes, ten species of Anomuran crabs,
eighty one species of Brachyran crabs, 155 species
of Gastropods, 24 species of Bivalves, 13 species of
sea stars, six species of brittle stars, 23 species of
sea cucumbers, 15 species of sea urchins and 120
species. of fish are found in the Lakshadweep
(Rodrigues 1996).'A list of fish species found in
Lakshadweep is attached in annexure - 2~
The green turtle and the hawksbill turtle are also
found in all the Islands. They graze on the sea
Lakshadweep Islands
grass beds and frequent the bar area and lagoon
area. There are many symbiotic relationships
between reef animals. Even though there are many
kinds of organisms on the reef, there are not large
populations of anyone kind. Hence species of fish,
mollusks and crustaceans, which are favored by
islanders, are vulnerable to over fishing.
111
There are several types of primary producers in
the coral ecosystem. The zooxanthellae live
symbiotically with the coral polyps, take up their
nutritional requirements from the coral excreta
and translocate nitrogen back to the corals in a
quick re-cycling process of about four hours.
Borrowing filamentous algae and calcareous algae
are also associated with the corals. The latter are
secondary frame builders in the reef. Benthic
macroalgae like the sea grass are the most prolific
primary producers.
There are several types of primary producers in
the coral ecosystem. The zooxanthella'e live
symbiotically with the coral polyps, take up their
nutritional requirements from the coral excreta
and translocate nitrogen back to the corals in a
quick re-cycling process of about four hours.
Borrowing filamentous algae and calcareous algae
are also associated with the corals. The latter are
secondary frame builders in the reef. Benthic
macroalgae like the sea grass are the most prolific
primary producers on the lagoon floor. Microalgae
in the lagoon sands are likewise important
primary producers far exceeding the
phytoplankton in productivity (Saldhana,1989).
ii. Island flora and fauna
a. Flora:
The warm tropical climate is conducive to good
plant growth. The islands are rich in botanical
biodiversity; roughly 150 species of plants have
been identified in an initial exercise of the
resource mapping survey carried out by the
Agrobiodiversity Corps in Kavaratti and Minicoyin
October 1996. These include hard wood trees, soft
wood trees, shrubs, medicinal herbs and fruit
trees. The botanical plants do not seem to be
endemic to Lakshadweep with the genus widely
found all across Southeast Asia. The plants have
to adapt themselves to the coral isiand attributes
and grow taller or shorter as the case may be.
Coconut trees cover most of the Island. Other
common trees are the breadfruit (chakka), Neem
and moringa trees. The fringes of the islands are
covered with Pemphis acidula (Cheeruthalem),