Zooxanthellate zoanthids (or. Zoantharia) are the third largest order of
Hexacorallia and are an integral part of the coral reef ecosystem.
Worldwide coral reefs will continue to suffer under the synergistic effect
of anthropogenic agent and climate change, thereby shifting towards
more adaptive and resilient species. Zoanthids are looked upon as
adaptive species under the current dynamics of climate change.
Zoanthids are also studied for their biochemical properties like extraction
of zoanthamine, Oxytoxic agent, Green Fluorensce Proteins (GFP). Hence
understanding the ecology and spatial distribution patterns of zoanthids
is important in formulating conservational and management policies
pertaining to marine ecosystems. The present study encompasses the
spatial distribution pattern of zoanthids along the Saurashtra coast of
Gujarat, India. Nineteen stations have been selected from Okha to
Bhavnagar and spatial distribution patterns of eight zoanthid species
have been studied using modified belt transact method, GIS and IDW
interpolation technique. The results indicated Palythoa mutuki as the
most common and abundant species along the Saurashtra coast of
Gujarat followed by Zoanthus sansibaricus and Palythoa tuberculosa.
While species such as Zoanthus gigantus and Palythoa heliodiscus, been
the rarest species along this coast. The study is first of its kind and
attempt has been made to incorporate the modern tools which
overcome the constraints of spatial variation in the distribution over
traditional methods of biodiversity studies. The study also forms baseline study to monitor zoanthid progression in the future and developing georeferenced
database along the Saurashtra coast of India for long term
permanent transect monitoring and policy framework development