LAUSR

The Gulf of Mannar (GoM) in southeastern India, once well known for its rich coral reefs, has been suffering for a long time from the vagaries of unprecedented threats posed by many natural and human-induced factors. The deployment of low-tech, low-cost artificial reef (AR) modules made of ferro-cement near Vaan Island in GoM helped enhance fishery production and enrich biodiversity. These modules remain strong even at the end of 15 years and continue to provide substrata to a significantly large population of coral colonies. In 2017, the density of the coral colonies attached to the ARs was found to be as high as 25.45 numbers per module (No.module−1). Recruits from 13 genera were observed on the modules, Turbinaria (5.4 No.module−1) and Favites (4.87 No.module−1) being the dominant genera. The modules have attracted the recruits of boulder type corals, which are important for long-term ecological services. Widespread deployment of these modules would aid in reef recovery by providing suitable substrate for coral recruits.