Acropora teres (Verrill, 1866): in the verge of regional vulnerability from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

Abstract

India is endowed with exceptionally enriched coastal and marine biodiversity in its peninsular coastal regions, island ecosystems as well as EEZ zones along with four major reef areas and other patchy reef areas. Being one of the major reef areas of India, Andaman and Nicobar Islands are considered the prime treasure-trove marine biodiversity with mostly fringing type reefs and one barrier reef. Comprehensive studies were carried out in the coral reef ecosystems of Andaman and Nicobar Islands for more than a decade to explore the coral reefs and associated faunal communities along with the estimation and monitoring of their health status. During the surveys, the live colonies of Acropora teres (Verrill, 1866) were recorded from North Reef Island in 2009 while all the colonies were found dead due to the bleaching event of 2010. None of the colonies showed resilience due to the arrival of biogenic habitat during the post-bleaching period. None of the live colonies were seen in other areas of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Hence, it is presumed that A. teres faced regional vulnerability.