Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences

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First record of patchy coral reef off Terekhol, North Goa, India


Affiliations
1 ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Old Goa, Goa – 403 402,, India
2 National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Headland Sada, Vasco da Gama, Goa – 403 802,, India
3 H. N. 529, Dhaktebaag, Querim, Pernem, Goa – 403 524,, India

This study reports the first time record of the patchy coral reef (~ 2 km2) of Terekhol in North Goa, the western coast of India during January – February 2020. There were more than 07 genera/species of hard corals in the reef and is dominated by a reef building Turbinaria mesenterina (Dendrophylliidae), which is considered as a sediment tolerant coral species. A total of 25 fish species were counted and the major species recorded were Chromis viridis, Chromis sp., Dascyllus sp., Abudefduf saxatilis, Abudefduf bengalensis, Acanthurus blochii, Acanthurus nigroris, Acanthurus sp., and Odonus niger that contributed 80 % of the total fish community. The documentation and record of the reef area could give identity to the ecosystem in the spatial platform and the conservation efforts can be planned for the reef by limiting the anthropogenic activities in and around the ecosystem.
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  • First record of patchy coral reef off Terekhol, North Goa, India

Abstract Views: 139  | 

Authors

G B Sreekanth
ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Old Goa, Goa – 403 402,, India
B S Ingole
National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Headland Sada, Vasco da Gama, Goa – 403 802,, India
B Pednekar
H. N. 529, Dhaktebaag, Querim, Pernem, Goa – 403 524,, India
E B Chakurkar
ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Old Goa, Goa – 403 402,, India

Abstract


This study reports the first time record of the patchy coral reef (~ 2 km2) of Terekhol in North Goa, the western coast of India during January – February 2020. There were more than 07 genera/species of hard corals in the reef and is dominated by a reef building Turbinaria mesenterina (Dendrophylliidae), which is considered as a sediment tolerant coral species. A total of 25 fish species were counted and the major species recorded were Chromis viridis, Chromis sp., Dascyllus sp., Abudefduf saxatilis, Abudefduf bengalensis, Acanthurus blochii, Acanthurus nigroris, Acanthurus sp., and Odonus niger that contributed 80 % of the total fish community. The documentation and record of the reef area could give identity to the ecosystem in the spatial platform and the conservation efforts can be planned for the reef by limiting the anthropogenic activities in and around the ecosystem.