Coral Reefs in India

Coral Reefs in India/Image Credit: Wikimedia

Often called, rainforests of the sea, Coral reef forms one of the most unique and biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. They occupy only 0.01% of space and host more than 25% of all aquatic life. They also play an important role in protecting coastlines from erosions.

List of coral reef areas in India
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Situated at the juncture of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, the beautiful island group is known for its coral reefs and rich aquatic life.

Gulf of Kutch
Known for fringing reefs. The reefs are less developed due to high salinity and varying temperature. Though not as rich as Andaman and Nicobar reef structure, but it hosts a good amount of different aquatic life. The entire Gulf of Kutch is classified as National Marine Park.

Gulf of Mannar
Gulf of Mannar is also known for its fringing reefs with a chain of 21 islands from Rameswaram to Thoothukudi. The entire region comes under Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve.

Lakshdweep
Known for its 12 coral atolls and 36 islands and islets, hosts more than 600 species of fishes.

Others
Takrili in Malvan, Maharashtra, is a small coral beach. Angria Bank is another place to see a coral beach in Maharashtra. There is a coral reef in Netrani Island in Karnataka, too. There are also some coral reefs in the western part of Gulf of Khambat.