Nayak L, Pati MP and Sharma SD
A Case Study on Aquatic Biodiversity and its Conservation from Chilika Lagoon, Orissa, East Coast of India
Chilika the largest brackish water lagoon of India, a designated Ramsar site, is a wetland of international repute. It is one of the hotspot of biodiversity in the country and some rare, vulnerable and endangered species which have been listed in the IUCN Red list of threatened animals, inhabit in the lagoon.170 species of plankton, 61 species of foraminifera, 136 species of mollusca, 7 species of sponges, 31 species of polychaetes, 61 species of crustaceans, 4 species of sipuncula and 2 species of echinodermata are found in the lagoon. A total of 259 species of fishes, 28 species of prawns/shrimps and 35 species of crabs are recorded from the lagoon. The lagoon serves as a paradise for millions of aquatic birds during winter season. More than 175 species of birds are available in the lagoon. There are about 18 species of mammals and one river dolphin (Irrawady Dolphin) is found in the lagoon. There are 7 species of amphibians and 30 species of reptiles found in the lagoon.
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