Question

The first marine sanctuary in India, having within its bounds coral reefs, mollusca, dolphins, tortoises and various kinds of seabirds, has been established in
A. Gulf of Kutch
B. Chilika Lake
C. Sundarbans
D. Lakshadweep

Answer 1

The first marine sanctuary in India was declared in the year 1980 that is located along the west coast of India, in the Gujarat state. This sanctuary has a park area known as the Marine National Park. On the
Jamnagar coast of this national park, 42 islands are present that are mostly surrounded by reefs.

Complete answer:
-Option (A) is correct. The Gulf of Kutch is the first marine sanctuary in India to have coral reefs, molluscs, dolphins, tortoises, and different forms of sea birds within its bounds.
-Option (B) is incorrect. Chilika Lake was declared a bird sanctuary under the Wildlife Protection Act. The lake is spread over the districts of Odisha state on the east coast of India.
-Option (C) is incorrect. Sundarban National Park is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger and the sanctuary in Sundarbans is a wildlife sanctuary. Thus, it is not a part of a marine sanctuary in India.
-Option (D) is incorrect. Lakshadweep is India’s smallest Union Territory that consists of a group of 36
islands. India’s first marine conservation reserve is going to come up around the Lakshadweep islands.
Hence, the correct option is (A).

Note:
The first marine sanctuary is established in the Gulf of Kutch that is an inlet of the Arabian Sea. The
fauna in this marine sanctuary includes- 70 species of sponges, 52 species of corals, and almost 90 species of birds. Molluscs like pearl oysters and sea slugs are also present. Apart from these, certain coelenterates, arthropods, echinoderms, endangered fishes and sea turtles, three species of snakes, etc can also be seen in this sanctuary.