Maarg Manthan · Topic 8.10

Important Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Areas

Environment & Ecology › Protected Area Network and Species-Based Conservation Programmes · Topic 8.10

India has a coastline of about 11,098 km including islands, an Exclusive Economic Zone of around 2 million sq km, and diverse coastal and marine ecosystems: mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds, salt marshes, lagoons, estuaries, sandy and rocky shores and islands. Under the environment ministry's coastal and marine programmes, scientists have identified Important Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Areas (ICMBAs), places that are rich in species or ecologically important and need conservation attention, on both coasts and the islands; check the official list. Existing protected sites include the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park (1982), Gulf of Kutch Marine National Park (1980, the first), Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park (Wandoor), Rani Jhansi Marine National Park, Bhitarkanika, Chilika, Pulicat, Sundarbans, Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary and Malvan Marine Sanctuary. Coastal areas are regulated by the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification 2019.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Environment & Ecology · Protected Area Network and Species-Based Conservation Programmes

At a Glance

Coastline About 11,098 km
EEZ About 2 million sq km
First marine park Gulf of Kutch, 1980
Turtle nesting Gahirmatha
Regulation CRZ 2019
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Environment & Ecology: Protected Area Network and Species-Based Conservation Programmes

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows SAWEN. It moves from enforcement to place-based protection of the coast and sea, connecting to the Coastal and Wetland macro and marine ecosystem topics. Previous topic: India’s Membership of the South Asian Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN). Next topic: Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme and the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Which Are the Key Coastal and Marine Protected Sites?

Site	Features
Gulf of Kutch Marine National Park (Gujarat)	India’s first marine national park (1980); Jamnagar; corals, mangroves, mudflats; finless porpoise, dugong; Pirotan island
Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park (Tamil Nadu)	21 islands, corals, seagrass, dugong; biosphere reserve 1989; first marine biosphere reserve in South and Southeast Asia
Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Wandoor (Andaman)	Reefs and mangroves over 15 islands
Rani Jhansi Marine National Park (Andaman)	Ritchie’s Archipelago, coral and seagrass
Bhitarkanika and Gahirmatha (Odisha)	Mangroves and the world’s largest Olive ridley mass nesting (arribada) beach; Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary (1997)
Chilika Lake (Odisha)	Largest brackish lagoon in Asia; Ramsar site; Irrawaddy dolphin and migratory birds
Sundarbans (West Bengal)	Largest mangrove delta; Bengal tiger; World Heritage Site

What Other Sites and Regulations Matter?

Pulicat Lake: Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu; brackish lagoon with flamingos
Malvan Marine Sanctuary: Maharashtra; corals and sea grass
Lakshadweep: coral atolls with Suheli and Kavaratti
Pitti Island: Lakshadweep bird sanctuary
Coringa and Godavari mangroves: Andhra Pradesh
Vembanad-Kol: Kerala; Ramsar wetland
CRZ Notification 2019: classifies coast into CRZ-I (ecologically sensitive), II (developed), III (undeveloped) and IV (water area)
National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management: Chennai; works on integrated coastal management

What Else Should You Remember?

ICMBA: Important Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Areas identified under the Marine and Coastal Protected Areas programme by the environment ministry
Marine protected area: a sea area with conservation rules
Marine protected area coverage: India has few large marine protected areas; most are small
Olive ridley: mass nesting at Gahirmatha, Rushikulya and Devi river mouth in Odisha
Rushikulya: Odisha nesting beach
Turtle Excluder Device: net device that frees turtles
Leatherback: nests in Nicobar
Green turtle: nests on Lakshadweep and the Gulf of Mannar
Hawksbill: reef turtle
Coral bleaching: Lakshadweep and Gulf of Mannar reefs were hit by heat waves
Coral restoration: biorock and coral gardening trials in Gulf of Kutch and Mannar
Mangrove cover: about 4,900 sq km; check the latest India State of Forest Report
MISHTI: Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes, launched 2023
Blue Economy: marine resource use policy
Deep Ocean Mission: launched 2021
Marine Product Export: shrimp farms in ecologically sensitive areas
Sea level rise: threatens islands
Cyclones: mangroves buffer
Tsunami 2004: showed value of mangroves
Fishing bans: annual breeding season ban of 61 days
Marine plastic: a growing threat
Link to previous: see India’s Membership of the South Asian Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN)
Link to next: see Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme and the World Network of Biosphere Reserves
Link to ecosystems: see Marine Ecosystem and Marine Organisms and Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems macro
Caution: the exact list of ICMBAs has changed; verify numbers before quoting
Exam hint: learn marine parks with state and the CRZ categories
Coral reefs: India has four main reef areas: Gulf of Mannar, Gulf of Kutch, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar, with mostly fringing reefs and atolls in the islands
Reef threats: bleaching from marine heat waves, crown-of-thorns starfish, destructive fishing and coastal pollution damage reefs
Seagrass beds: in Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar they feed dugong and sea turtles and trap carbon
Salt marsh: Rann of Kutch, Gujarat and Sundarbans have salt-tolerant vegetation important for birds
Estuaries: Hooghly, Mandovi and Zuari nurseries support prawn and fish
Marine mammals: dugong, Irrawaddy dolphin, finless porpoise and humpback dolphin live in these areas
Threat of aquaculture: clearing mangroves for shrimp farms is restricted by CRZ rules and court orders
Eco-sensitive coasts: Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra have fragile backwaters and mangroves under development pressure
Island ecosystems: Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep have endemic species, sensitive to sea level rise and development

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

First park: Gulf of Kutch
Turtles: Gahirmatha
Law: CRZ 2019
Current affairs link: MISHTI and coral bleaching
Common errors: placing Gulf of Mannar in Gujarat or calling Chilika marine

As an analytical point, coasts are among the most productive and most pressured places, with ports, aquaculture, tourism and cities competing with ecology. Strong zoning under CRZ rules, mangrove restoration and fishing controls are needed to keep them functioning.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Richness Mangrove, reef
Sites Marine parks
Rule CRZ

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the Man and Biosphere Programme and the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Next topic: Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme and the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Key People and Terms

ICMBA Important coastal and marine area
CRZ Coastal Regulation Zone
Arribada Mass turtle nesting
Atoll Ring-shaped coral island
Lagoon Shallow coastal water body
Marine sanctuary Protected sea area

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

First marine park: Gulf of Kutch.
Gulf of Mannar has 21 islands.
Gahirmatha: Olive ridley.
Chilika: brackish lagoon.
CRZ Notification: 2019.

Do Not Confuse With

Gulf of Kutch and Gulf of Mannar Gujarat versus Tamil Nadu
Chilika and Pulicat Odisha versus Andhra-Tamil Nadu lagoon
CRZ-I and CRZ-III Sensitive versus undeveloped coast

Memory Hook

Kutch first, Mannar twenty-one, Gahirmatha for turtles, Chilika for dolphins.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for site, state and species matches. These points help.

Sites Marine parks
Threats Coastal pressure
Rules CRZ

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Discuss the important coastal and marine biodiversity areas of India and the regulatory framework for their protection.”

How to Answer

Sites Parks, lagoons.
Species Turtles, dugong.
Law CRZ.
Way Restore.

GS Relevance

Prelims: marine parks, coastal ecosystems, CRZ, Olive ridley sites. GS Paper 1 and 3: coastal ecology and regulation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which was the first marine national park in India?

The Marine National Park in the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat, declared in 1980, was the first marine national park in India. It protects coral reefs, mangroves, mudflats and numerous islands, including Pirotan, and is home to dugong, finless porpoise and several species of turtles and birds.

Why is the Gulf of Mannar important?

The Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu has 21 islands with coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and a very large number of marine species, including dugongs, turtles and seahorses. It was India's first marine biosphere reserve and, with the Palk Bay, forms the most important seagrass area in India.

Where does mass nesting of Olive ridley turtles occur?

Olive ridley turtles nest in mass nesting events, called arribadas, on the coast of Odisha, at Gahirmatha, Rushikulya and the Devi river mouth. Gahirmatha in Bhitarkanika is considered the world's largest nesting beach for the species, and Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary was created to protect it.

What is the Coastal Regulation Zone?

The Coastal Regulation Zone is the area along the coast and tidal water bodies where activities are restricted or regulated under the Environment Protection Act to protect coastal ecology and livelihoods. The CRZ Notification 2019 divides it into CRZ-I, II, III and IV and defines no-development zones near the high tide line.

What is MISHTI?

MISHTI, the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes, was announced in 2023 to restore and plant mangroves along India's coast and in salt pan lands, using funds from schemes such as the Compensatory Afforestation Fund and MGNREGS, with benefits for climate and coastal communities.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 The Marine National Park in the Gulf of Kutch was the first in India.

True

Declared in 1980.

2 Gahirmatha is in Gujarat.

False

In Odisha.

3 Chilika is a brackish water lagoon.