Mumbai's Corals threatened by Coastal Road Project

The grand Rs 14,000-crore Mumbai Coastal Road project poses a significant risk to the city's marine biodiversity. And last Thursday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) got a nod from the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), Nagpur, to translocate fragile corals across the Haji Ali-Worli shoreline.

But as Shaunak Modi, team member of Marine Life of Mumbai and co-founder of Coastal Conservation Foundation, points out, as per the report, only 18 coral colonies will be translocated by the BMC. "This is a fraction of the total corals in the affected area. On a low enough tide, one would find 18 colonies in a matter of minutes," he adds. So what happens to the rest?

Another fact to keep in mind, Modi asserts, is that corals are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wild Life Protection Act, and enjoy the same protection as tigers do. So, he states that without proper understanding of their ecology and the feasibility of other sites, translocating them is a potential disaster. "Mumbai has two types of stony corals - those that grow on loose rocks and those which grow on the bedrock. The authorities plan on relocating the second variety. Their permit doesn't include the reef-building false pillow corals, which are found on loose rocks in a pool in Haji Ali or the Gorgonian sea fans that are found near the Mahalakshmi temple," he shares. Here are three that now stand threatened in light of this decision.

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Common name: Cup corals
Scientific name: Paracyathus sp

Some of the most abundant corals in Mumbai, these solitary cup corals are found across Mumbai's western coastline

Common name: Gorgonian sea fan/Sea plume
Scientific name: Pseudopterogorgia sp

Belonging to the soft coral family Gorgoniidae, these sea fans can be seen only during very low tides. This one was photographed behind the Mahalakshmi temple. These corals are also protected under Schedule 1 of the WLPA. Pic/Pradip Patade

Common name: False pillow coral
Scientific Name: Pseudosiderastrea tayama

Seen here are multiple small colonies of the false pillow coral on a single rock at Haji Ali

Common Name: False pillow coral
Scientific Name: Pseudosiderastrea tayamai

These reef building stony corals grow on loose rocks in a pool at Haji Ali. Pic/Shaunak Modi

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