Coral Reefs in India are one of the most antique and vibrant ecosystems of India. These reefs are now popular tourist delights in India. There is a scope of adventure tourism in these regions. Scuba diving is the one of the major adventure sports there. The coral reefs are concentrated in Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the coastal sides of Arabian Sea and in some parts of Karnataka (located in main land India). Coral reefs in India not only offer a sanctuary to a myriad of marine life, it also plays a key role in protecting the coastline of India from erosion. India has about 7517 km of coastline including the islands. But the mainland coast of India is about 6100 kilometers.
Coral Reefs of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Andaman and Nicobar Island is situated in the Bay of Bengal. These islands include the fringing reefs. There are about 500 islands. Most of these islands have a healthy biodiversity.
Gulf of Kutch
The reefs of Gulf of Kutch are relatively less developed due to large range of temperature and high salinity. These harbours have less biodiversity. The entire Gulf of Kutch is also known as a Marine National Park.
Gulf of Mannar
Gulf of Mannar has the fringing reefs with a chain of 21 islands from Rameswaram located in Rameshwaram District in the north to Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) in the south. This part of the gulf forms part of the Gulf of Mannar biosphere reserve.
Lakshadweep Islands
Lakshadweep Islands has exclusive coral reefs. The islands of Lakshadweep have 36 coral islands, of which 10 are inhabited. The islands range from less than 1 km to about 9 km in length, and do not exceed 2 kilometers in width.
Tarkarli
Tarkali in Maharashtra is a smaller reef. It is located off the main land of western India.
Angria Bank
Angria Bank in Maharashtra is a coral reef off Vijaydurg.
Netrani Island
There is a coral reef in Netrani Island in Karnataka. Netrani is a small island of India located in the Arabian Sea. It is off the coast of Karnataka situated approximately 10 nautical miles (19 km) from the temple town of Murudeshwara in Bhatkal Taluk. This island has scuba diving facilities and the place is easily accessible from Mysore, Mangalore, Goa, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Bengaluru.
