A group of marine biologists will observe the phenomenon of coral spawning in Lakshwadeep on Wednesday.
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NEW DELHI: A different type of Holi will be seen in Lakshwadeep. A group of marine biologists having recently observed the phenomenon of coral spawning — popularly also called 'sex on the reef' — will be spending all of Wednesday observing the rare occurrence.
Corals, marine animals found on reefs, reproduce by releasing gametes (eggs and sperm) into the water. Scientists who have closely observed this say it looks like snowflakes rising from bottom to top. On the surface of the sea, where the gametes fuse to form larvae, the water can turn from pink, purple, green and even brown.
Marine biologist Subburaman S was cruising through the clear waters of near the Kavaratti island in the Lakshwadeep last week when he noticed a pink-brown colouration, which is otherwise uncharacteristic. Local fishermen told him it was an oil slick - the kind of pollution plaguing a large number of water bodies and hence a fairly plausible hypothesis. But when he collected the slick-like sample to test it, the microscope revealed that it indeed was coral spawn. .
Subburaman, who was visiting the region for coral reef transplantation work along with the Central Marine Fisheries and Research Institute (CMFRI), told TOI over phone from Bangaram island that "something like this was reported from Tamil Nadu's Gulf of Mannar some time last year, but on the west coast, this is the first time it has been scientifically reported".
At the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the month of November sees a great many tourists, the main attraction being the coral spawning that ensues soon after the full moon of the month. It was here in 1981 that the first ever instance of coral spawning in the world was scientifically recorded.
Predicting it, however, is no easy task. "It is hard to pin down what the cue is. Some coral scientists feel it is the full moon night that triggers it, others think it is a chemical release from other species. The temperature too needs to be just right," says Professor B C Chaudhury, Advisor to the Wildlife Trust of India.
In 2010, corals in the Lakshwadeep were reported to have undergone "stress", because of El Nino - an abnormal warming of the waters around the tropical Pacific. The stress refers to coral bleaching wherein corals lose their algal covering and their chances of survival slim down. Coral bleaching was also reported in 2012, though Chaudhury says the reasons are unknown. However, with this spawning, marine biologists are a lot less skeptical now. "The sea temperature had risen at that time and the corals had turned white, losing all resources of life sustenance. But this shows a continuance of life," notes Subburaman.