For the first time, the researchers documented the rich biodiversity of rocky reefs and underwater life in the Kerala coast, and few underwater sites have a rich life of the gorgonians (sea pens, sea fans) and solitary corals. These areas at a depth of 50 meters may be called “Animal Forests”, as the biodiversity is so rich, including the rare soft corals, solitary hard corals, sponges, worms, molluscs, bryozoans and ascidians, and this justifies the presence of huge schools of fish in the surroundings, says Prof Biju Kumar, who led the project.
The traditional fishers in the region use these sites as their fishing sites, as they are rich in life. It is for the first time that life below water is documented from the Kerala coast, and for that matter, anywhere in India, on rocky reefs beyond 40 meters. The diving team include Umeed Mistry of Earth CoLab, Bangalore, India’s leading underwater photographer and film maker, and Jonah Skoles, Eternal Divers, Pondicherry.
Led by the project Ecomarine Team in the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, the expedition aimed to explore the rich biodiversity of the Kerala coast at depths up to 100 meters, with a primary focus on rocky reefs. A ground-breaking expedition off the coast of Kerala, India, has uncovered disturbing evidence of additional plastic dumps in the ocean, posing a grave threat to the delicate life below water. The discovery was made during an extensive documentation of underwater life in the Kerala coast, shedding light on the urgent need for immediate action to address the growing problem of marine plastic pollution.
To the surprise of the research team, many of the underwater reefs beyond 40 meters explored during diving are dumped with plastics, a stark reminder of the magnitude of the global plastic pollution problem. The underwater sites were littered with various forms of plastic waste, including bottles, bags, fishing nets, and fragments of single-use plastics. This alarming find highlights the urgent need for increased efforts in waste management, recycling, and the adoption of sustainable practices to prevent further degradation of our oceans. Further, a serious thought on upstream management of the plastics, especially the rivers and sewers draining into the ocean, with truckloads of plastic waste every day
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