The name Krusadai may symbolically

mean Lord Shiva with matted locks - as a

manifestation of Lord Dakshinamurti. The

exact meaning of the word Krusadai is

difficult to fathom . 'Kru' (as a corrupt form

of 'Kuru' may also mean short or abridged)

is perhaps wrongly spelt for Guru meaning

Teacher or Mentor. (in Tamil,in both ways

'Kru' or 'Guru', it could be written).

Assuming its Tamil version of the word 'Kru'

to mean Guru = i.e ., 'Mentor' or Nestor - and

'Sadai' meaning matted locks, we can

visualise the picture of Lord Dakshinamurti.

In its serene atmosphere, the place is

veritably ' an eternal abode for silent

meditation. Lord Dakshinamurti is

known to teach and dispel all doubts

of 'sishayas' or disciples by transmitting

the lessons of discourses and answers and

replies to doubts raised ''through thought

waves" in eloquent silence and in eternal

bliss, when and where speech becomes

superfluous

Jeyabaskaran, R

Lyla, P S

CMFRI Digital Repository

Plantations form second line of defence in beach protection. Very effective in controlling wind-erosion, plants cannot put a h a lt to sea-erosion If It is in a very s evere form. However , their role cannot be underestimated . They serve as wind brakes , check the m ovement of beach sand and prevent the entry of s alt spray into the fertile areas of the interior. Casuarlna equlsetifolia is the key species. Other litteral species of significance in coastal afforestation programmes are Baningtonia asiatica, TerminaLia. catapa, Thespesia populnea, CaLophyllum inophyllum, Pongamia. pinnata, Hyphaene indica a decorative branch ed s pecies of palm cominon in Diu and Daman and Cocoloba uvifera of Pondlcherry. Sand-binding trailers like Iipomoea pes-caprae, Spinifex squarTOsus,. Cyperus arenariwn are part of our natural biodiversity. For greening the salty marshlands (Kharlands) mangrove species are of great value. Salvadora persica has the added advantage of Its seeds being used In soap industry. The plantations besides proViding green cover to combat salinity also proVide income for the rural poor. V.M. MEHER-HOMJI French Institut Pondichery - 605 001 KRUSADAI ISLAND : THE BIOLOGIST'S PARADISE INTRODUCTION: The name KIusadai may symbolically m ean Lord Shiva with m a tted locks - as a manifestation of Lord Dakshlnamurtl. The exact m eaning of the word Krusada i Is difficult to fathom . 'Kru' (as a corrupt form of 'Kuru' may also m ean sh ort or abridged) is perhaps wrongly s pelt for Guru m eaning Teacher or Mentor. (in Tamil,in both ways 'Kru' or 'Guru', it could be written). Assuming its Tamil version of the word 'Kni' to mean Guru = i.e ., 'Mentor' or Nestor - and 'Sad ai' meaning m atted locks, we can visualise the picture of Lord Dakshlnamurtl. In Its serene atmosphere, the place is veritably ' an eternal abode for silent m editation. Lord Dakshlnamurtl is known to teach and dispel ali doubts of 'sishayas' or diSCiples by transmitting the lessons of discourses and answers and replies to doubts raised ''through thought waves" In eloquent s ilence and in eternal bliss, when and where speech b ecomes superfluous! SeshaiyaJla VoL 4 No.1 1996 The morphometric features of this island with thick algal seaweeds, mangroves, seagrasses , coral reefs, fringing reefs , patch reefs, shingles, cay etc., may be said to resemble , in abird's eyeV!ew, the matted-locks of Lord Dakshlnamurtl. Hence the island m ay have been so named . Nearby, Krusadal is the island of Pamban meaning snake or . serpent which Is also Lord Shiva wears around His neck and upon which Lord Vishnu reclines. The island, since time immemorial, belonged to the Raja of Rarnnad known by the title 'Sethupathi' (Sethu for Rameswaraml. who sold it to then British (Indian) Government of the Presidency of Madras for less than Rs.6,OOO/- in 1914, largely through the efforts of James Hornell. Thus, the erstwhile Madras PreSidency got its foothold here; and, s o the Fisheries Department founded here in 1914 or so, established Its token presence, although on a . small scale , yet vibrant in activities, recognizing its unique potential and rich diversity of life forms. But the scientific 63 studies in the area of the Gulf of Mannar date back to 1880 or even before (Carter, 1880, Foote, 1888). The finding of KIusadai is rather difficult on an ordinary map of even peninsular India. KIusadai island is situated in the Gulf of Mannar (lat. 9° 14'N and long. 7go13'E) near the well-known tourist places of pilgrimage of Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi in Ramanathapuram district of Tam1l Nadu. The distance to the island from Mandapam on the mainland Is 6 km and from Pamban island Is 4 km. This Pamban island has a length of 2050 metres and width of 700 metres and is spread over an area of 67 hectares. The coral reefs around the island and the shallow lagoon-like portion between the reef and the shore would form excellent sites for collection of various kinds of nora and fauna. The noteworthy feature of the island is its easy accessibility to a unique number of flora and fauna inclusive of the living coral reefs in natural conditions. KIusadai island has, thus, become the "BiolOgists Paradise" and attracts a never-ending stream of students, ·teachers and eminent scientists from India and abroad from about 1898 of recorded history. KRUSADAI MARiNE BIOLOGICAL STATION The rich biological diversity prompted Mr. James Hornell, the then Director of Fisheries Departm"nt of the Government of erstwhile Madras PreSidency in the year 1914 to recommend the establishment of a Marine BiolOgical Station on the KIusadai island. The station was established in 1914 or so, with no modem amenities like potable water, electricity, etc. Besides founding the station, a pearl oyster farm and later a fish-farm were also established. The station had a museum (later came to be known as James Hornell Museum), a library, two .1aboratOlies (Figs. 7, 8) an aquarium and a photographic room, in addition to store rooms and quarters for the staff. 64 During the last five decades or so, the old Marine BiolOgical Station has remained closed and the James Hornell Museum and the laboratories (Fig. 9, 11) stand as mute testimony to their hoary past. The other two buildings KIusadai BiolOgical Station (Fig. 6) and the Rest house (Fig. 10) which were constructed later, seem to be maintained in relatively good condition. Due to lack of interest in its adequate maintenance most of the old structures are now in disrepair and in dilapidated condition, no doubt giving refuge to garden lizards (Calotes versicolar and Hemidactylus frenatus), snakes (Dendrophis pictus and Dendrelaphis tristis), scropions, antipeds, millipeds, scutigera and spiders. Restoring the Marine Biological Station to its prestine glory is the urgent need of the hour. SOUTHEAST COAST OF KRUSADAI : On the southeast side of the KIusadai island Is the famous coral reef called Galaxea reef (Fig. 4). It would get exposed at low tides. The corals belonging to the genus GaLaxea have largely contributed to its formation lending the name to this reef. The reef itself is composed of dead coral rocks with full of holes. In lllany places the reef is highly vulnerable and it is risky to tread on it as It can collapse beneath one's own weight. Once inside the reef, the bottom Is sandy with an admixture of mud In places. This reef which is covered with seaweeds slopes steeply Into the sea. During the low tide, the water is quite clear and many interesting algae can be conveniently observed and studied in thetr In their own niches. As mentioned earlier, the outer portion of the reef is exposed to the surf during low tide, but during high tide the waves just roll over and the algae on the reefs are then exposed. The southeast end of island is sandy and Is called as 'Sand Point'. (Fig. 1) . The coral reefs on the western part of the Ga1.axea reef give shelter to an interesting and varied potpouri of marine Seshaiyana Vol4 No.1 1996 animals. The corals both live and dead, provide shelter and lebensraum to a variety of sponges, coelenterates, planartans, polychaetes, crustaceans, polyzoans, mQlluscs, tunicates etc. On the Western end of fue island is the Prochordate ptychodera area where two genera of Enteropneusta (ptychodera and Chlamydothoraxj . Polychaete worms occur abundantly along with sea-cucumbers, HolothwiD. atra and H. scabra the former occurs more abundantly. NORTHERN COAST OF KRUSADAI : The Kundugal channel along the northern shore of Krusadai island is an ideal place for tow net collections. There flows a strong current from the Gulf of Mannar to the Palk Bay and vice versa. It is an enchanting place where dolphins could be seen in large .numbers swimming and diving. On the Western side of the pier (Fig. I), anemones, large star fishes and small sea urchins are found. The pearl oyster (Pinctada fucata) farm is in the neighbourhood. One joint sector company known as Tamil Nadu Pearls' is engaged in commercial 'Pearl culture' venh!re here in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu State Fisheries Department. The nucleus along with the mantle is Implanted into the pearl oysters (Pinctada j'ucata) at Mandapam laboratory and are cultured by suspending them in the rafts near Krusadai island. Further west, in the Porites Bay (Fig. I), the bottom is muddy. The Bay is inhabited by In;nnense masses of the corals Porites sp. and Acropora sp. Large' masses of the coral Favia abdiata are also common along with representatives of about twenty other species of corals. To the west of Porites Bay, the shore again curves inwards forming 'another large bay. The Watchman's Bay with the muddy bottom which almost completely gets . exposed at low tide. The mud flat is strewn with Cerithidea cingulata. Worms especially terebellids are abundant in the mud and heimJ.t crabs on its surface. lbe seeds of . \ . , Seshaiyana Vot.4 No.1 1996 .milk fish ehanos chanos are found in large numbers in the Watchman's Bay. From this point onward the shore line is densely covered with mangrove vegetation. The sea front sides of the vegetation are very muddy. If one attempts to tread on the soil where the mud, the mud Is thin and fine, the he may go easily down upto his knees. At this spot, the poisonous snakes (Hydrophis sp. and Enhydrina sp.) also would climb up the ashore at nights and stretch themselves among the roots of the mangrove trees. The Western part of the northern shore is very muddy and hence is known as 'Bushy Point'. LAND FLORA AND FAUNA OF THE ISLAND: 'lbe island has cultivated coconut, palmyrah and casuarina groves. Creepers like Ipomea bilDba, Spinifex squarrosus and Launea pinnatijldn. and climbers like Vites negundo and GloriDsa superba grow abundantly on the northern side of the island. Large trees like margosa (neem), banyan and gooseberry are seen in the eastern part of the island. Shrubs of Dodonea viscosa, Indigofera oblongifoUa and Scaevola frutescens form dense patches all over the island (Fig. 12). Grasses like Cymbopogen caesius and Fimbristylis spathacea are found over the sandly tracts. The fauna on land is represented by beetles, butterflies, moths, dragon-flies, red-cotton bugs, ants, termites, snakes, lizards, scorpions, centipeds and spiders. The following birds reside permanently on the island: the spotted owlet, the houee and jungle crows; the king crows, the skylark, the sun bird, the myna and the grey paritidge. The black rat Ratius rufescenes and the white rat Tatera cuvieri are the mammals of the island. REMARKS AND SUGGESTIONS: The Krusadai island is under the control of Tamil Nadu State Fisheries Department. The office of the Research Assistant of the Fisheries Deparitnent in the - 65 -Q6 w .. t Bay BUShy w .. t Bay Coral RHf ... _ .. ~ .... , Watchman. Boy t*y.Cho~ra . Ateoi Kundugol Channel oyster farm .. '. ~"""" ". "'-~ Sand Point • Y "' , .' ";:Galox.., Reef GULF OF MANNAR Fie. 1. KRUSADAI ISLAND then (Chacko. 1955) Coral RHf · ..... ,f ..... , , , Watchman • . Boy Kundugol Channel :!l. ~ ,r;n Pearl oyster farm Porit .. Boy Bushy Point GULF OF MANNAR Fig. 2 . KRUSADAI ISLAND now N , N , Seshaiyrina Vol4No.11996 LEGENT TO FIGURES (Krusadai Island : The Biologist's paradise by k. Jeyabaskaran and P.S. Lyla) Fig. 1. Map showing the Krusadai Island then (Chacko, 1955) Fig. 2. Map showing the Krusadai island now Fig. 3. Krusadai Marine Biological Station Adntinistrative Office, Mandapam Fig. 4. Galaxea Reef, Southeastern side of Krusadai island Fig. 5. Damaged building, built by corals Fig. 6. Marine Biological Station, Field Research Laboratory, Krusadai island Fig. 7. Marine Biological Laboratory, Krusadai island Fig. 8. Marine Biological Laboratory, Krusadai island Fig. 9. James Hornell Museum, Krusadai island Fig. 10. Rest House for students and scientists, Krusadai island. Fig. 11. James Hornell Museum and Laboratory, Krusadai island Fig. 12. Thick scrubby and coastal vege tation on Krusadili island Fig. 13. Sea erosion of southeast coast of Krusadai Island LEGENT TO FIGURES (The impact of chemicals used in aquactultme upon the environment by M. Srinivasan et al.) Page No. 72 I. A successful harvers of Penaeus monodon by using ess=tial chemicals llke zeolite, lime, etc. Ii. Penaeus monodon affected by protozoan disease (Zoothamnium) LEGENT TO FIGURE [Manakudy (Kanyakumarl) mangroves by G. SanthakumarJ Page No. 188 !. Lushy growth of mangroves with the author in the foreground Seshaiyana Vot.4 No.1 1996 67 FIG. 3 FIG. 4 FIG.4 FIG. 4 68 FIG. 5 FIG. 6 FIG. 7 FIG. 8 69 FIG. 9 FIG. 10 FIG. 11 FIG. 12 70 FIG. 12 FIG. 13 FIG. (i) FIG. (ii) FIG. (i) 71 ; , area is located at Mandapam, on the mainland opposite the Krusadai Island who regulates the visit of the college parties and others to the island. The visiting parties should wrtte directly to the Research Assistant, Krusadai Marine BiolOgical Station, Mandapam - 623 520, Ramnad District, Tamil Nadu, for permission to visit the island and for boat facilities to ferry across. The department also supervises the field work of the visiting parties to the island. This way, the fishertes depattment in all its earnestness tries to prevent judiciously vandalism and over exploitation of the resources. TI,e visitors, especially the college parties who come in large numbers here every year, cause often irreparable damage to the animal life. In their youthful enthustasm, the students collect more specimens and discard them after the tours. This should be avoided at any cost. The teachers accompatlying the students should instruct them to observe the animals in their natural habitat, to study the behaviour of the animals atld to understatld the beauty and sophistication they have achieved in the natural habitats. This will go a long way in preserving the rich marine life of the island. The flshertes department must also check the illegal collection of seaweeds from the islatld which is done through operation of small boats as it leads to reef damage. 1bis "Biologist's paradise" with its rich and varied life forms should be preserved at aD costs for postertty. Every effort should be taken in this direction. REFERENCES: Burton, M., 1937. Supplement to the littoral fauna of Krusadai island in the Gulf of Mannar : Porifera. Bull. Madras Govt. Mus. Nat. rUst. Ser., pp. 30. Carter, H.J., 1880. Report on specimens dredged up from the Gulf of Mannar. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist., 5 : 437-457 Chacko, P.T., S. Malladevatl atld R GaneSatl, 1955. A guide to the field study of the fauna and flora of Krusadai Island, Gulf of Mannar. Contrib. Mar. BioI. Stn. Krusadai Islatld, Gulf of Mannar. 3: 10 - 16. Foote, R (Bruce) 1888. Notes on Rameswaram Islatld - l. Madras Christian College Magazine: 828-840. Gravely, F.H., 1927. 'The littoral fauna of Krusadai island in Gulf of Mannar. Bull. Madras. Govt. Museum (N.S). N.H. Section VoLl No.1. ppl-179. Iyengar, M.O.P., 1927. Krusadai islatld flora. Bull. Madras Govt. Mus. N.S., 1 : 185-188. La! Mohatl, RS., 1986. The Krusadai islatld, Souvenir, Published on the occasion of 35th Anniversruy of the Recreation club of C.M.F.RT., Matldapam Camp. Mathai, G., 1924. On a species of subfossU solitruy corals from the Chilka Lake. Mem. lndiatl Mus., 5 : 999-1003. The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve. Project Document No.5, 1987. Govelnrnent of lndia, Ministry of Environment & Forests, New Delhi, pp. 105. R. JEYABASKARAN AND P.S. LYLA CAS in Marine Biology Parangipettai - 608 502 THE IMPACT OF CHEMICALS oUSED IN QUACULTURE UPON THE ENVIRONMENT The burgeoning population of India demands adequate food production atld employment generation to cope up with the 72 times. After the 'green revolution', India has stepped into the 'blue revolution' with several breakthroughs. Till the last 18th Seshaiyana VoL4 No.1 1996 

Krusadai Island: the Biologist's Paradise

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Krusadai Island: the Biologist's Paradise

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