CONSERVATION INITIATIVES FOR CORALREEF ECOSYSTEM IN MARINE NATIONAL PARK, GULF OF KACHCHH, GUJARAT, INDIA

摘要

Gujarat State is not only bestowed with the longest coastline in the country, it is also blessed with a remarkable diversity of marine ecosystems and habitats (Kamboj et al., 2014). The Gulf of Kachchh (GoK), one of the three gulfs of the country, is home to a wide variety of marine flora and fauna. The southern coast of the Gulf of Kachchh harbors one of the northernmost coral reefs of the world, home to a wide spectrum of marine fauna and flora, including a few endemic species (Jose, 1964; Apte et al., 2010). This region has 42 islands with a rich biodiversity of corals and their associated fauna and flora. It is a unique marine ecosystem offering the most challenging environment for protection and conservation of coastal and marine biodiversity (ICMAM, 2002).