5 days ago
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Some of the astir mysterious and thrilling secrets of the oversea disconnected the confederate Kerala seashore volition beryllium unveiled successful Community Marine Biodiversity Online Register acceptable to beryllium released successful Thiruvananthapuram successful Kerala connected the World Oceans Day connected June 8.
Created by Friends of Marine Life (FML), a Thiruvananthapuram-based organisation moving successful the country of marine biodiversity, the online registry documents marine ecosystems and the affluent coastal biodiversity disconnected Thiruvananthapuram district. Once launched, the registry tin beryllium accessed by anyone escaped of charge. It is besides interactive arsenic the nationalist and researchers tin lend to expanding it, said researcher and FML coordinator Robert Panipilla.
Ocean literacy
“The superior purpose is gathering ‘ocean literacy’ - to amusement the water from the position of the accepted cognition of the fishers,” helium said. “The wide nationalist thin to presumption the water from the extracurricular - arsenic thing much than a ample assemblage of water. For the fishers, connected the different hand, the water and the underwater ecosystems are arsenic acquainted to them arsenic immoderate cityscape would beryllium to a resident,” helium said.
The FML inaugural is supported by a clutch of agencies including Kerala University’s Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, South Indian Federation of Fishermen’s Societies, Aazhi Archives and Scuba Cochin.
The registry provides accusation connected a wealthiness of marine species, including galore that person yet to beryllium scientifically identified. It besides features verified technological accusation from institutions specified arsenic the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries and the National Institute of Ocean technology, according to Mr. Panipilla. For each species, some the vernacular sanction and the communal sanction are provided.
Soft coral connected an underwater reef disconnected Varkala. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Apart from photographs, the registry has 55 habitat-related underwater videos and implicit 200 species-related videos. According to the FML, the inaugural is meant to papers the accepted cognition of the section sportfishing assemblage portion raising nationalist consciousness and strengthening conservation efforts.
The FML has documented astir 50 underwater marine habitats on the Thiruvananthapuram coast, said Mr. Panipilla. “The registry carries accusation connected the marine biodiversity up to a extent of 43 metres,” helium said.
For Mr. Panipilla, it is besides a signifier of protestation against the Kerala State Biodiversity Board. During 2013-15, helium had worked arsenic task coordinator for a Marine Biodiversity Register connected the Thiruvananthapuram seashore for the board. According to him, the committee had utilized lone 40% of the data. “They discarded 60% of the collected information connected the grounds that determination were nary experts to found the taxonomy. Just due to the fact that thing has not been scientifically described does not mean it doesn’t exist. On the online register, we person uploaded specified taxon arsenic ‘unidentified.’
The FML inaugural besides comes astatine a clip erstwhile fragile coastal ecosystems crossed the globe are facing persistent threats.
Transport Minister C.P. John volition motorboat the website of the Community Marine Biodiversity Online Register astatine the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club connected June 8. A. Biju Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) volition preside. John Kurien, retired Professor, Centre of Development Studies volition present the keynote address. The FML’s purpose is to people akin community-driven online registers for Kerala and India with the practice of like-minded groups.
