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World Journal of Zoology 9 (2): 93-100, 2014 ISSN 1817-3098 © IDOSI Publications, 2014 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wjz.2014.9.2.83326 Threatened Scleractinian Corals of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India 11Tamal Mondal, C. Raghunathan and 2K. Venkataraman 1Zoological Survey of India, Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, National Coral Reef Research Institute, Haddo, Port Blair-744 102, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India 2Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhavan, M- Block, New Alipore, Kolkata-700 053, India Abstract: Conservation is the measure to safeguard any species against the depletion. Depending upon the natural and human threats, several species are under threat towards extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) was founded to compute the status of floral and faunal lives to protect them against degradation by means of several categorizations. Threatened species is the combination of three categories such as Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable which are very near to extinction stage. Depending upon five criterions 228 species of scleractinian corals were categorized under threatened species. Andaman and Nicobar Islands harbors 121 species of threatened corals comprising of 8.26% Endangered (EN) and 90.90% Vulnerable (VU) species. Only one species of scleractinian coral under Critically Endangered (CR) category was reported from Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Among them, 44.62% species are common in occurrence and distribution in Andaman and Nicobar Islands which implies the enriched marine biodiversity of these areas. Key words: Conservation Threatened Species Endangered Vulnerable Andaman and Nicobar Islands INTRODUCTION contributing a lot for sustainable development of the world from biological, ecological, socio-economical etc. Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the mountain chain aspects as well as by taking protective measures against of 572 islands from Landfall Island to Great Nicobar natural calamities. However, due to over exploitation of Island located in between Bay of Bengal and Andaman natural resources from the reef environments, pollution, Sea within 6-14°N to 92-94°E [1, 2]. The importance of coral mining, non-scientific fishing practices etc. the these islands is incredible due to the presence of immense corals are facing threats against their survival. Where biodiversity from terrestrial to marine ecosystem. The existence of the corals are obvious for the development mesmerizing interlinking relationships among the and healthy world, depletion, destruction and devastation ecosystems are the building blocks of entire biodiversity of the scleractinian lives and associated faunal in terrestrial as well as marine avenues in the form of 106 communities are being faced simultaneously which leads protected areas in these groups of islands with two to the threat of extinction. The threat towards extinction Marine National Parks denote as the part of one of the may be a long term process in due course of evolution biological hotspots [3]. All these islands of this either by natural causes or anthropogenic. In 1948, with archipelago are surrounded by well spread healthy the extensive efforts of world’s biologist, the International fringing type coral reefs on the continental shelf with Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) was established diversified scleractinians. Coral reefs are the baseline to conserve the biological organisms around the globe. ecosystem where animals of all the phyla except one are Depending upon some criterions and a thorough research found [4]. The coral reefs of marine realm have been of 6 years, IUCN Red List was published in 1994 while Corresponding Author: Tamal Mondal, Zoological Survey of India, Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, National Coral Reef Research Institute, Haddo, Port Blair-744 102, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, E-mail: [email protected] 93 World J. Zool., 9 (2): 93-100, 2014 compilation of animals was made in 1996. According to more than 500 Self Contained Underwater Breathing the Red List, nine categorizations such as Extinct (EX), Apparatus (SCUBA) diving at coral reef ecosystem of Extinct in the Wild (EW), Critically Endangered (CR), these group of islands and snorkeling during the above Endangered (EN), Vulnerable (VU), Near Threatened (NT), said study period. Status quantification was made by Line Least Concern (LC), Data Deficient (DD) and Not Intercept Transect Method and Quadrate Study Method Evaluated (NE), were made to evaluate the status of the [6, 7] to state their regional occurrences. Digitization of animals from micro-organisms to the mammals. According individual species was made by underwater camera (Sony- to this category, the first two categories explains the Cyber Shot, Model-T900, marine pack, 12.1 megapixels). damaged status of the animals groups from the Identification of the species was made in conjunction with biodiversity whereas the next three categories are the Veron and Pichon [8], Veron and Pichon [9], Veron and reflecting the trend towards extinction. The animals under Pichon [10], Veron et al. [11] Veron and Wallace [12], CR, EN and VU are considered as threatened animals Veron [13] and Wallace [14]. under certain time. Five criterions are considered to make evaluation of any to conclude about the threatened RESULTS conservation status such as A. Declining population from past to future, B. Geographic range size and A total of 121 species of scleractinian corals fragmentation, decline or fluctuations, C. Small under 36 genera and 12 families were identified as population size and fragmentation, decline, or threatened corals from Andaman and Nicobar Islands fluctuations, D. Very small population or very restricted (Table 1). Among them, 110 species are Vulnerable (VU), distribution and the last not the least E. Quantitative ten are Endangered (EN) and one species is Critically analysis of extinction risk [5]. When any species meets Endangered (CR). The Acroporidae family describes any of the five criterions and considerably facing for the maximum number of 50 vulnerable species of corals high risk of extinction from the wild will be encountered where Pectinidae family describes only two species of under any one of the three threatened categories. The vulnerable corals from Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The present paper dealt with the threatened scleractinian family Acroporidae represents three species of corals of Andaman and Nicobar Islands with their regional Endangered corals while Mussidae and Poritidae occurrences. represents two Endangered species from each of the family whereas Fungiidae, Merulinidae and Pocilloporidae MATERIALS AND METHODS represents only one endangered species from each of the family (Table 2). On the basis of quantified data, it was The studies were conducted in Andaman and encountered that 67 species are Rare and 54 species are Nicobar Islands from July 2009 to April 2014 to document Common according to regional occurrence in these the scleractinian species. Species recording was made by groups of islands. Table 1: Threatened Scleractinian Corals of Andaman and Nicobar Islands A and N Islands ------------------------------------------- Sl. No. Species Andaman Islands Nicobar Islands IUCN, 2013 Occurrence in A and N Family: ACROPORIDAE Verrill, 1902 Genus: Acropora Oken, 1815 1. Acropora anthocercis (Brook, 1893) VU R 2. Acropora awi Wallace and Wolstenholme, 1998 VU C 3. Acropora donei Veron and Wallace, 1984 VU R 4. Acropora globiceps (Dana, 1846) VU R 5. Acropora hemprichii (Ehrenberg,1834) VU C 6. Acropora hoeksemai Wallace, 1997 VU R 7. Acropora horrida (Dana, 1836) VU C 8. Acropora kosurini Wallace, 1994 VU R 9. Acropora kimbeensis Wallace, 1999 VU R 10. Acropora loisetteae Wallace, 1994 VU R 11. Acropora microclados (Ehrenberg, 1834) VU C 12. Acropora paniculata Verrill, 1902 VU R 94 World J. Zool., 9 (2): 93-100, 2014 Table 1: Continue A and N Islands ------------------------------------------- Sl. No. Species Andaman Islands Nicobar Islands IUCN, 2012 Occurrence in A and N 13. Acropora palmerae Wells, 1954 VU R 14. Acropora papillare Latypov, 1992 VU C 15. Acropora polystoma (Brook, 1891) VU C 16. Acropora pharaonis (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1860) VU R 17. Acropora rudis (Rehberg, 1892) EN C 18. Acropora roseni Wallace, 1999 EN C 19. Acropora speciosa (Quelch, 1886) VU C 20. Acropora striata (Verrill, 1866) VU C 21. Acropora vaughani Wells, 1954 VU C 22. Acropora verweyi (Veron and Wallace,1984) VU R 23. Acropora aspera (Dana, 1846) VU C 24. Acropora caroliniana Namenzo, 1976 VU R 25. Acropora multiacuta (Nemenzo, 1967) VU C 26. Acropora echinata (Dana, 1846) VU R 27. Acropora solitaryensis Veron and Wallace, 1984 VU C 28. Acropora desalwii (Wallace, 1994) VU R 29. Acropora spicifera (Dana, 1846) VU C 30. Acropora dendrum (Bassett-Smith, 1890) VU C 31. Acropora batunai Wallace, 1997 VU R 32. Acropora turaki Wallace, 1994 VU R 33. Acropora acuminata (Verrill, 1864) VU R 34. Acropora cervicornis (Lamarck, 1816) CR R Genus: Anacropora Ridley, 1884 35. Anacropora reticulata Veron and Wallace, 1984 VU R 36. Anacropora matthai Pillai, 1973 VU R 37. Anacropora spinosa Rehberg, 1892 EN R Genus: Astreopora de Blainville, 1830 38. Astreopora incrustans Bernard, 1896 VU R 39. Astreopora cucullata Lamberts, 1980 VU R Genus: Montipora de Blainville, 1830 40. Montipora angulata (Lamarck, 1816) VU R 41. Montipora caliculata (Dana, 1846) VU C 42. Montipora cebuensis (Nemenzo,1976) VU C 43. Montipora crassituberculata Bernard, 1897 VU R 44. Montipora delicatula Veron,