Mangroves - Nursery for fishes
Abstract
Mangrove habitats are of a great ecological and socio-economic significance. Goa exhibits fringing mangroves comprising of 15 species. Shizophora mucronata, Avicennia officinalis, Sonneretia alba, S. caseolaris, Exoecaria agallocha and Acanthus ilicifolius are dominant flora. Dense thickets and maximum number of species are confined to polyhaline (18-30 ppt) and mesohaline (5-18 ppt) zones of estuaries. Oligohaline regions are dominated by S. caseolaris and Kandelia candal. Total cover in the state has been estimated to be approx. 20 km sup(2) of which greater than 75% occurs in the regions influenced by Mandovi-Zuari-Cumbarjua estuarine complex. These habitats are traditionally utilized for capture and captive fisheries, and reclaimed mainly for agriculture and urbanization. Lately, these ecologically sensitive habitats are included under CRZ-I category of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Act of the country. Mangrove in the state, being limited, need stringent and effective management regulations.
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