Author(s):

Koushik Sadhukhan, CH Ramesh, T Shanmugaraj and MV Ramanamurthy

Abstract: Coral reef is vulnerable marine ecosystem which critically responses to the trifling environmental changes. Presently, this ecosystem is degrading at an alarming rate due to climate change impacts. Coral recruitment acts as positive health indicator for degraded reef ecosystem. During coral reef monitoring survey at Keezhakarai group of Islands in Gulf of Mannar, significant in situ recruitment of scleractinian branching corals Montipora digitata were recorded. Present study assess the recruitment density and percentage coral cover of this coral species by using LIT and quadrat sampling method. Average live coral cover was found to be higher in the site 2 (52.60±3.2%) followed by site1 (41.32±1.7%) and the recruitment density was recorded maximum at site 2 (7.72/m² - 9.56/m²). Among the Physico-chemical parameters, sea surface temperature (SST) were found to be higher (31.87 °C) than the average SST ranges (28 °C-30 °C) in Gulf of Mannar. But, there is no bleaching of M. digitata were recorded during the survey. Intensive reef monitoring during summer and proper conservation management of this important ecosystem can improve the recruitment rate of corals and survival of newly recruited coral species.

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