Caring for coral

Mithapur's shallow coastal waters, just off the shore, feature a coral reef that is teeming with marine biodiversity. This fringing reef harbours six different types of hard coral including the brain, star, moon, plate, porites and staghorn coral.

The coral growth starts less than a hundred metres from the shore, and can be accessed at low tide. Crabs, eels, octopi and fish can be seen moving in and out of the maze of coral formations. Stingrays lie buried on the sandy sea floor ready to strike at thefirst opportunity. The timid sea hare will squirt ink when disturbed. The prized possession of this reef is the colony of the rare bonellias which are normally not tobe seen living collectively. The wide variety of shells to be found here include cowries, spires, augers, conches, cockles, lucids and limpets, and murex, rockoyster, snail, tusk and top shells.

There has been a steady rise in the fishing activity along the Mithapur coast over the past few years. The coral reef area is also frequented by boats, which employ gill nets and drift nets for fishing. Often, these nets entangle on the coral formations, and being difficult to remove, are abandoned by the fishermen. This not only disturbs coral growth, but also proves to be virtual death traps for creatures like crabs, eels, fish and, at times, also the endangered marine turtle. Mithapur's coast is a regular nesting site for the Olive Ridley and green turtle.

Tata Chemicals has undertaken research work on, and protection of, this coral reef. As a part of the World Environment Day programme, Eco Club volunteers at Mithapur decided to grasp the one-hour window available early one morning to remove the entangled nets from the coral reef.

Armed with scissors and blades, it was literally a race against time for the volunteers who entered the reef and toiled hard until high tide. Dislodging trapped marine creatures from the nets, especially the crabs, was a meticulous job as these crustaceans are delicate creatures; and dropping your guard meant inviting a sharp nip from their vicelike pincers. The fishing net debris recovered was brought ashore for disposal. It was also for the first time that a lobster was sighted at the Mithapur reef; sure signs that the reef life is staging a comeback.

Tata Chemicals plans to put up a coral reef interpretation centre in Mithapur, and is studying the feasibility of a boardwalk near the reef. The company wants to establish protocols for coral transplant and will undertake a pilot transfer of acropora and other relevant species to this reef.

Sourced from ‘Tata Planet & People Initiatives’ Published by Group Corporate Affairs Copyright Tata Sons Limited, 2009.