R D Kamboj, chief conservator of forests, Marine National Park, said the centre will help protect the rich marine bio-diversity of the country. "The objective is to promote different kinds of research activities in respect of coastal and marine eco-systems of the country. The coastline of India is 7,500 km and about 22 per cent of it is in Gujarat, which has 1,650 km. The coastal and marine eco-system plays a very important and significant role in providing livelihood securities to the communities who are based on the coastal line,'' Kamboj said.
He said that in addition to sustaining human existence in these areas, the coastal marine eco-system occupies a special significance in terms of harboring a variety of marine flora and fauna, which carry not only tourism value but they are intimately interwoven with the complex food chain from ecological point of view. Read the full report here.
Source: Times News Network, Rajkot.
