Gulf of Mannar

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Gulf of Mannar
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???????? ?????? LocationTamil NaduCoordinates 8.47N 79.02ECoordinates: 8.47N

79.02EBasin countriesIndia, Sri LankaMax. length160 km (99 mi)Max. width130275 km (81

171 mi)Surface area10,500 km2 (4,100 sq mi)Average depth1,335 m (4,380 ft)References[1]
The Gulf of Mannar is a large shallow bay forming part of the Laccadive
[2]

Sea in the Indian Ocean. It lies between the southeastern tip of India and the
west coast of Sri Lanka, in the Coromandel Coast region.

A species known as dugong (sea cow) is found here.

The chain of low islands and reefs known as Ramsethu, also called Adam's
Bridge, which includes Mannar Island, separates the Gulf of Mannar from Palk
Bay, which lies to the north between India and Sri Lanka. The estuaries
of Thamirabarani River of South India and the Malvathu Oya (Malvathu River)
of Sri Lanka drain into the Gulf.[3]

Contents

[hide]

1Conservation

1.1Marine sanctuary

1.2Biosphere reserve

2Marine activities

3References
Conservation[edit]
Marine sanctuary[edit]
See also: Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park

Located on the southeastern tip of the subcontinent, the Gulf of Mannar is

known to harbour over 3,600 species of flora and fauna, making it one of the
richest coastal regions in Asia. 117 hard coral species have been recorded in
the Gulf of Mannar. Sea turtles are frequent visitors to the gulf as
are sharks, dugongs, and dolphins. However, the combined effects of 47
villages, with a total population of around 50,000 has meant
that overharvesting of marine species has become a problem. The decline of
fish populations has been accompanied with reducing numbers of
pearl oyster, gorgonian coral, and acorn worm. Local fishermen rely on the reef
to feed their families, but destructive fishing methods combined with the
stress of pollution and coral mining have meant both nearshore and offshore
catches have decreased. Endangered species include
dolphins, dugongs, whales and sea cucumbers.[1]
In 1986, a group of 21 islets lying off the Tamil Nadu coast
between Thoothukudi and Dhanushkodi was declared the Gulf of Mannar
Marine National Park. The park and its 10 km buffer zone were declared
a Biosphere Reserve in 1989.

Biosphere reserve[edit]
The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve covers an area of 10,500 km of ocean,
islands and the adjoining coastline. The islets and coastal buffer zone
include beaches, estuaries, and tropical dry broadleaf forests, while the marine
environments include seaweed communities, sea grass communities, coral
reefs, salt marshes and mangrove forests.[4]

Marine activities[edit]

Pearl fishing in the Gulf of Mannar, ca. 1926

The Gulf of Mannar is known for its pearl banks of Pinctada

radiata and Pinctada fucata for at least two thousand years. Pliny the
Elder (2379) praised the pearl fishery of the gulf as one of the most
productive in the world.[5][6][7] Although extraction of natural pearls is
considered too expensive in most parts of the world, it is still carried out in the
gulf.[8]
The chief seaports on the Gulf of Mannar are Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) in Tamil
Nadu, and Colombo in Sri Lanka. While these ports can accommodate deep-
draft vessels, the shallow Palk Strait can only accommodate small shallow-
draft vessels. In July 2005, the Indian Government took preliminary steps to go
ahead with the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project, which would create a
deep channel linking the Gulf of Mannar to the Bay of Bengal. Project boosters
emphasize the benefits of a direct shipping route that connects India's east
and west coasts without the long trip around Sri Lanka; environmentalists have
warned against the grave damage such a project could cause to the sea life
and fisheries of the Palk Strait and the Gulf.