Lok Sabha Question No. 70 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-02-24
Subject: Coral Reef Bleach Alert System
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: POONAM  MAHAJAN

- (a)  Yes, Madam.
- (b)  A Coral Bleaching Alert System (CBAS) has been developed by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information  Services  (INCOIS),  Hyderabad  of  the  Ministry  of  Earth  Sciences(MoES), which is being operational since 2010. The primary parameter used in CBAS for generation of products, is night time Sea Surface Temperature (SST), derived from  the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA)'s Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR).  The alert system works on the principle that the rise in SST will impart thermal stress on the Coral reefs and if that thermal stress persists for longer periods the coral may start  bleaching.  The  main  CBAS  products  are  Hotspot  (representing  the  SST  variations), Degree of Heating Week (representing thermal stress accumulated for past 3 months) and time-series  plots  to  indicate  the  day-to-day  changes  in  the  SST.  These  products  are  being generated every three days and published on INCOIS website, for the 4 major Indian coral regions  viz.,  the  Andaman,&  Nicobar,  Lakshadweep,  Gulf  of  Mannar  and  Gulf  of  Kutch.  An amount of Rs. 4 lakhs was spent by INCOIS for developing this system.  Under the scheme 'Conservation and Management of Mangroves and Coral Reefs, the following grants (Rs. in lakhs) were released to the States/UTs by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) during the last 3 years:
- (c) The number of advisories generated by INCOIS during the summer months during the last 3 years is as follows:
- (d)  Yes,  Madam.  The  objective  of  developing  the  CBAS  is  to  help  in  identification  of  thermal stress  on  coral  systems  for  protection,  preservation  and  the  health  of  coral  reefs  in  the country. These alerts can provide early indications of stress on coral ecosystem. Besides, towards  conservation  and  management  of  coral  reefs,  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  has been  under  implementation  since  1987-88  by  the  Ministry  of  Environment  and  Forest  and Climate Change (MoEFFCC).

| State/UT               |   Tamil Nadu (Gulf of Mannar) |   Gujarat (Gulf of Kutch) |
|------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------------|
| 2013-2014 to 2015-2016 |                         84.38 |                     56.95 |

| Year   |   No of advisories |
|--------|--------------------|
| 2013   |                122 |
| 2014   |                122 |
| 2015   |                122 |
| Total  |                366 |

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## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 70 CORAL REEF BLEACH ALERT SYSTEM

## 70. SHRIMATI POONAM MAHAJAN:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has developed Coral Reef Bleach Alert System to monitor the health of the coral system in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof including its parameters and the number of alert systems set up in India, State/UT-wise and the funds spent on developing the same;
- (c) the numbers of coral bleach advisories generated during the last three years, year-wise; and
- (d) whether the alert system has successfully protected and preserved the health of coral reefs in the country and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES

## (SHRI Y.S. CHOWDARY)