Author(s):

Khadija Haider, Syed Muhammad Raza Shah, Bushra Ghaffar, Shahid Naeem

Abstract: Pakistan’s periled treasures of Coral reefs require protection from devastating anthropogenic activities, which can only be achieved through the identification of their habitat. The primary objective of this study is to identify the potential habitat of coral reefs along the coastline of Pakistan with the help of Geographical Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) techniques. The results indicate that coral reefs are present throughout along the coastline, proving that Pakistan is rich in these diverse ecosystems. Pakistan being at important geo strategic position can also benefit from its vast coral reef and other coastal resources such as mangroves and fish varieties. Moreover, coastal zone management through involvement of the local community and establishment of Marine Protected Area (MPA) is the need of the hour to avoid destructive fishing, which can prove to be deadly damaging for the coral reefs near popular spots like Churna Island.

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