(March 23, 2020) In February 2020, the Lakshadweep Administration notified three new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), with a total area of 645 sq.km. These three protected sites are: Dr. K.K. Mohammed Koya Sea Cucumber Conservation Reserve, Cheriyapani (239 sq.km.), P.M. Sayeed Marine Birds Conservation Reserve (62 sq.km.) and Attakoya Thangal Marine Conservation Reserve between Amini and Pitti Archipelago (344 sq.km.). A view of Bitra island in Lakshadweep. Photo courtesy: Vardhan PatankarThe declaration of ...

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(March 20, 2020) In the year 2015, while I was working on an Environment Impact Assessment project in the Western Ghats of India, my advisor Dr Gururaja pointed out the Kottigehar Dancing Frog (Micrixalus kottigeharensis) to me.I still remember that day quite vividly. We parked our car on the roadside. It wasn’t an easy place to park. There were huge potholes on the road and we had to scan the area before we found a safe place. The rains seemed to have subsided, however, there was still a light, steady dri...

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(March 19, 2020) Divya Shetty is a Bangalorean actively involved with the Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust. One day, the gardeners who worked around the Puttenahalli lake found the Indian star tortoise on the embankment. Soon after, it was rescued and rehabilitated with the help of Bannerghatta National Park. In this article, Divya Shetty describes the rescue operation and rehabilitation of the endangered species. This is an example that shows what citizens can do to protect and preserve wildlif...

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(March 12, 2020) Sharks are one of the most threatened groups of marine fishes today. In India, 152 species of sharks and rays have been recorded, furthermore, there is an addition of new species every year. Today India is the third-largest exporter of sharks in the world and the shark populations continue to dwindle in our waters due to overfishing.Fins from sharks, guitarfish and wedge fish kept for drying for further trade. Photo courtesy: Zoya TyabjiStudies over the years have indicated that sharks act as &l...

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