Tamil Nadu

Week-long exhibition of coral reefs inaugurated

CHENNAI: A week-long exhibition on coral reefs was inaugurated at the Chennai museum on Wednesday.

Inaugurating the exhibition, C. K. Sreedharan, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Tamil Nadu, said maximum carbon absorption took place under the sea. So it was necessary to protect the marine eco-system.

The coral reef areas are ecologically sensitive and over exploitation of the coral reefs for cement industries would have an adverse impact on the fish population, which would directly affect the livelihood of the fishermen, Mr Sreedharan warned.

In Tamil Nadu, the Gulf of Mannar area, which had been declared as a marine biosphere reserve, has 21 islands in which one could see the live coral reefs, he added.

This year had been announced as a ‘Year of Coral Reefs’ and that was one of the reasons for organising the exhibition, said Shanthini Kapoor, Commissioner, Museums, Tamil Nadu.

A decade ago a similar announcement was made. The increased threat to the coral reefs necessitated the authorities again announcing this year as the Year of Coral Reefs, she said.

Sometime ago a day-long workshop, ‘Know Your Museum,’ for the benefit of school teachers, was organised.

Some of the teachers who attended the workshop expressed their wish to learn more about corals, which prompted the authorities to conduct the exhibition, said J. R. Asokan, Curator, Zoology Section, Egmore Museum.

Visitors could see the photographs of corals at the Centenary Exhibition hall.

They would also be taken to the Coral Gallery at the museum.

Mr. Asokan said the coral gallery would be reorganised soon.

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