Studies on the Alcyonacean Fauna of Gulf of Mannar

Soft corals are conspicuous and colourful component of coral reef through out the marine national parks of India. The soft corals are the second largest group of organisms in the coral reef environment and play a significant role in the global coral reef ecology. There is a growing interest in the biomedical applications of octocorals. The order Alcyonacea includes the soft corals and the gorgonians. Alcyonacea or soft corals, an order of corals are belongs to the sub class Octocorallia, (Class Anthozoa, Phylum Cnidaria).