Location: on the coast of
Karnataka State from Coondapur and Gangolli in the south to Karwar in the
north
Area: c.20,000 ha
Altitude: Sea level
Description of site: A series of small estuarine
systems along 150 km of the Karnataka coast, from Karwar Bay in the north
to Gangolli in the south. Fast-flowing rivers descending from the Western
Ghats to the Arabian Sea slow down as they reach the coast and spread out
into wide estuaries, lagoons, and backwaters with extensive mudflats and many
small patches of mangrove forest. The mouths of most of these estuaries and
creeks are narrow and permanently open to the sea. In some cases, the width
of the mouth has been reduced by sand accretion. Many fish and prawn farms
are located in the vicinity of the mangrove areas.
Mangrove forest is particularly well developed in the Kalinadi, Gangivali, and Agnashini estuaries, and at the confluence of the Chakra Nadi, Kollur, and Haladi rivers near Gangolli. Much of the intervening coastline is sandy beach backed by coastal dunes, but there are some short stretches of rocky shore
Climatic conditions: Humid, tropicalmonsoon climate,
with an average annual rainfall of 2500 mm. Most of the rainfall occurs during
the southwest monsoon, between June and August
Principal vegetation: Estuarine mangrove forest
with 14 species of mangrove belonging to seven families. Two main zones are
recognised: a moderately saline zone near the coast with sandy, clay substrate,
dominated by Avicennia officinalis, A. marina, Kandelia candel, Rhizophora
mucronata, and Sonneratia albs; and a mesohaline zone further upstream, dominated
by Aegiceras corniculatum, Excoecaria agallocha, K. candel, and Sonneratia
caseolaris. Other common mangrove species include Acanthus ilicifolius, Clerodendrum
inerme, and Rhizophora conjugate. The backwaters support a variety of algae,
including Enteromorpha intestinalis, Chaetomorpha lineum, Monostroma sp.,
Porphyra vietnamensis, and Gracilaria verrucosa. The coastal sand dune vegetation
is dominated by Ipomoea pescaprae, Asparagus dumosus, Spinifex littoreus,
Cyperus aristatus, Sporobolus tremulus, Leucas aspera, and Casuarina equisetifolia
on the foreshore, and Vitex negundo, Pandanus sp., Durana repens, Anacardium
occidentals,
Fauna: The estuaries sustain rich populations of
fishes, crustaceans, and molluscs. Species of commercial importance include
fishes of the genera Chanos, Mugil, Arius, Gerrus, Ploynemus, Periophthalmus,
Caranx, Epinephalus, and Therapon; shrimps of the genera Penaeus, Macrobrachium,
Metapenaeus , and Alphaeus; crabs of the genera Uca, Neptunus, and Thalassira;
and a variety of clams and oysters The estuaries are known to be of considerable
importance for herons and egrets, shorebirds, gulls, and terns, particularly
during the migration season and in winter, but few data are available. Over
1930 waterfowl were observed at Gangolli in January 1987, including 270 herons
and egrets of six species, 340 Glareola lactea, 240 other shorebirds (mainly
Pluvialis squatarola, Charadrius mongolus, Numenius arquata, and Xenus cinereus)
and 1080 Larus brunnicephalus
Special floral values: The estuaries contain some of the
finest stands of mangrove forest remaining on the west coast of India south
of Gujarat
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