Coral Diversity Assessment in Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep Archipelago, India: Implications for Conservation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53555/jaz.v46i2.5312Keywords:
Coral diversity, Lakshadweep, Kavaratti Island, Reef health, Conservation, Climate ChangeAbstract
Coral reefs are the most biodiverse marine ecosystems, supporting intricate symbiotic relationships and contributing an estimated $9.9 trillion annually to global benefits. Despite their ecological and economic significance, coral reefs are under severe threat, with 27% already lost and a 14% decline in coral cover over the last decade. India’s coral reefs cover around 2,374 sq.km, yet regions like Kavaratti Island in Lakshadweep remain understudied. Its geographic isolation presents a unique opportunity for biodiversity research, potentially revealing novel species traits and serving as a key reference for Indo-Pacific coral diversity. This study evaluates coral species diversity in Kavaratti Island to bridge gaps in regional coral fauna knowledge using the LIT (Line Intercept Transect) method. Fourteen hard coral species across five families were documented, with Acropora (n=6) as the dominant group, followed by Poritidae (n=4). Spatial analysis across three reef zones showed that the intermediate lagoon had the highest live coral cover (56.0%), while the inner reef had the highest mortality (66.7%). These findings offer critical baseline data to inform conservation planning, reef management, and climate resilience strategies for coral ecosystems in the Indian Ocean region.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Shikha Mahesh Goswami, A. A. Mohamed Hatha, Sivanpillai Sureshkumar, K.K. Idrees Babu, Riaz Sheriff, Prateek Dey
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