Proceedings of National Seminar on Marine Resources NSMR’16 Editor Dr. V. Saravanan Associate Editor S. Elango Subramanian Organised by Department of Zoology, The M.D.T. Hindu College Tirunelveli. Tamilnadu - 627 010. In Collobration with Seaweed Research and Utilis©ation Association CAS in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai. © Department of Zoology, The M.D.T. Hindu Collge, 2016 ISBN : 978-81-931973-9 -4 Citation : V. Saravanan and S. Elango Subramanian (2016) Proceedings of National Seminar on Marine Resources (NSMR’16) at The M.D.T. Hindu College, Tirunelveli 3rd and 4th March 2016. 250pp. Compilation of Articles: No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage an retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owners. Disclaimer: This book is a collection of papers presented in the National Seminar on Marine Resources (NSMR’16) on 3rd and 4th 2016. The publishers are not responsible for the contents of this book which is solely based on the matter provided by the authors. The publishers assume that the data provided by the authors are their own and if reproduced from any other resources have attained expressed permission from the respective resources. Errors, if any are purely unintentional and readers are requested to communicate such errors to the editors or publishers to avoid discrepancies in future. Published by: Department of Zoology The M.D.T. Hindu College Pettai, Tirunelveli – 627 010. Email : [email protected] www.mdthinducollege.org Printed by: Galaxy Printograph Tirunelveli – Town Email : [email protected] Organising Committee Patron Dr S. Subramanian Principal, The M.D.T Hindu College Convenor Mr. S. Elango Subramanian Associate Professor & Head of Zoology Organizing Secretary Dr. V. Saravanan Associate Professor of Zoology Members Dr. A. Sivagurunathan Assistant Professor of Zoology Dr. A. S. Ganga Assistant Professor of Zoology Dr. K. Subramonian Assistant Professor of Botany MANONMANIAM SUNDARANAR UNIVERSITY Tirunelveli 627 012 …………………….……………………………………………………. Dr. A. John De Britto Registrar FOREWORD It’s with deep satisfaction that I write this foreword to the proceeding of the “National Seminar on Marine resources” (NSMR’16). Our vast beautiful oceans and seas have always been an endless source of inspiration and recreation while sustaining the livelihoods of millions. They provide us with numerous resources and services of which oxygen, food, energy, transport and tourism are just a few examples. For toolong, we have taken it all for granted and little attention has been paid to our unsustainable use of these resources. Today the degradation caused by inefficient growth model we have been locked into is threatening many marine ecosystems, though this may sometimes be masked by the immensity of sea itself. Marine Strategy Framework Directive(MSFD) of EU aims to ensure that our seas and oceans are healthy that is in ‘Good Environmental Status’ by 2020, so they can continue to deliver the benefits so many jobs and lives depend on. Based on this we should also aim to protect the whole of marine environment from the majestic top predators right down to the smallest vital single cell microorganism. This could be done by reducing pressures from human activities such as underwater noise, contamination by dangerous substances, marine litters etc., Apart from this, care should also be taken to the sustainable usage of marine resources for the well being of marine environment. There is little time left to reach our goal of healthy oceans and seas. I hope this seminar is an opportunity to assess what we have achieved so far and rekindle our efforts and commit to combine them to save our marine resources. The high quality of papers and discussions represent the thinking and experience of men and women with reference to marine resources. This proceeding will furnish to scientific groups world over an excellent reference book. I also believe that this will be an impetus to stimulate further study and research. Hence I wish the seminar a great success. REGISTRAR PREFACE Ocean covers nearly 71% of earth and hence earth is called “water planet”. It is endowed with various ecosystem ranging from terrestrial to oceanic ecosystem including estuaries, mangroves mudflats, sandy, rocky, and muddy shores etc., The marine environment is so peculiar than the terrestrial environment because of several physical and chemical properties the includes waves, tides, dissolved salts and gases and minerals. India is bestowed with an intensive coastline of over 8129 km., 0.5million sq km of continental shelf and 2.02million sq. km of exclusive economic zone [EEZ], with an estimated annual marine fishery potential of 3.9 million tons. The Indian marine fisheries sector plays a very vital role in supplying protein rich food to the exploding population and also in employment generation and foreign exchange earnings. The ocean that covers most of the surface of the earth is the planet’s largest factory of organic matter. The ocean is one of the earth’s most valuable natural resources. It provides food in the form of fish, shell fish and plants about 200 million pounds each year. The ocean is an increasingly important source of biomedical organisms with enormous potential for fighting diseases. Three products agar, algin and carrageenin have been extracted from seaweeds and are used in a variety of ways. Physical marine natural resources include products from the ocean as well as the ocean itself. Sand, gravel, salt, minerals, oil and gas are physical products taken from the ocean. Ocean water itself is a natural resource and can be used to make fresh water as a coolant or for the production of energy. It is used for transportation. The ocean plays a vital role in removing carbon from the atmosphere and providing oxygen. Both ocean and atmosphere work together to form complex weather phenomena like the north Atlantic Oscillation and El Nino. The continuous exploitation of marine resources and habitat increases because of human population explosion and its level of socio-economic development. Exploring the marine resources at a greater level is important to understand why we must keep the ocean healthy for future generations. We must work hard with an objective to attain sustainable use of marine resources while preventing stock declines. A population of environmental perturbation and anthropogenic pressures are contributing to challenging changes in the sustainable and profitable use of marine ecosystem services and the resources of the bountiful sea are in danger of collapse. There is an urgency to broaden and promote stakeholders’ concerns, aspiration, knowledge and participation realizing imperativeness of preserving this biodiversity treasure for posterity and prosperity. Based on the above said facts this National seminar on Marine Resources (NSMR’16) may be an eye opener for the younger generation of our Nation. S. Elango Subramanian Dr. V. Saravanan Associate Editor Editor & Organising Secretary Keynote Address MARINE RESOURCES – SIGNIFICANCE AND CHALLENGES A.JOHN DE BRITTO Registrar, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli – 627 012. Marine Resources of the world:1 The oceans cover 70% of the planet’s surface area, and marine and coastal environments contain diverse habitats that support an abundance of marine life. Marine fish and invertebrates are among the rich sources of wild food on the planet, providing over 2.6 billion people with at least 20% of their average per capita protein intake. Moreover, the world's oceans host 32 of the 34 known phyla on Earth and contain somewhere between 500,000 and 10 million marine species. Marine Biodiversity of India: India’s coastline extends to around 8,000 km and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 2.02 million sq km adjoining the continental regions and offshore islands. The wide range of important ecosystems characterizing the coast includes estuaries, lagoons, mangroves, backwaters, salt marshes, rocky coasts, sandy stretches, and coral reefs. India’s total mangrove cover is approximately 700,000 hectares. There are 59 mangrove species belonging to 41 genera and 29 families present along the entire coast. The Indian Ocean region harbours some of the most diverse and extensive reefs, many of which are among the least scientifically known. The total area of coral reefs in India is estimated to be 2,374.9 sq km. Marine mammals include members of five different groups categorized under cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises) and sirenians (manatees and dugongs). Of the 78 cetaceans and five sirenian species identified globally, 29 and one, respectively, exist in India. Marine reptiles found in coastal and marine areas of India include sea turtles, crocodiles and sea snakes. Of the eight species of sea turtle, five are found along the Indian coastline. Twenty-five species of sea snakes, belonging to three families and five sub- families, have been documented in Indian waters. Birds both feed and breed near the sea. There are two main groups of birds along the Indian coast -- sea birds and water birds. About 177 bird species are found in the mangrove forests of India. Kingfishers, herons, storks, sea eagles, kites, etc, are the dominant species observed in these systems. A total of 2,546 fish species belonging to 969 genera, 254 families and 40 orders have been recorded so far. Indian fish populations represent 11.72% of the world’s species, 23.96% of genera, 57% of families, and 80% of orders. Significance of Marine Resources: Food The seas and oceans contain vast natural resources that are increasingly available to humans as technology and scientific understanding improve. Fish have historically played highly significant roles in satisfying the protein requirements of large fractions of humanity since the earliest periods of recorded history. Hydrocarbons Natural oil and gas found in rocks beneath the seabed give us the fuel we need for cooking and heating in our homes, for power stations, motor vehicles and airplanes.