Ecologically Important Areas of Karnataka Coast
Ecologically Important Areas

Home Introduction Objectives Methodology Ecologically Important Areas Information in Detail	Ecologically Important Areas In Karnataka:      Institute for Ocean Management has identified Hanovar and Coondapur under the category of ecologically important areas in the state of Karnataka (Table1) Table 1: Ecologically Important Coastal Areas identified in Karnataka coast. District Site Ecological Importance Geographic Location Areain km² Coast length(km) Uttar Kannada Honavar Estuarine and Mangroves Ecosystem 74º15' - 14º00' 74º30' - 14º30' 0.05 0.24 Coondapur Estuarine Ecosystem 74º30' - 13º30' 74º45' - 13º45' - 0.43 Geographic Location:      Karnataka covers an area of about 1,91,791 Sq.km with a population of 44,977,201 (Census, 1991) and a population density of 234/km2. It is bounded by Maharashtra and Goa in the north, Andhra Pradesh in the east, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the south, it opens out into the Arabian Sea on the west. The important river systems are the Krishna and its tributaries (Bhima, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, Tunghabadra and Vedavathi) and the Cauvery (Hemavathi, Shimsa, Arkavathi, Lakshmana Tirtha and Kabini) which are east flowing. click on the locations for further details      The Karnataka Coast (12º45' - 15º00' and 74º00' - 75º00') is about 298 km long. The entire coastal zone is narrow except near around estuaries, where it is almost straight but broken at numerous points by rivers, rivulets, creeks etc. It has long, narrow and straight beaches as well as small crescent shaped pocket beaches intercepted by rocky headlands, spectacular spits, estuaries, shallow lagoons, mudflats and few patches of mangroves. The northern coast is rocky while the southern coast has long linear beaches. Karnataka has always been known for its beautiful forests and rich wildlife.       Along the Karnataka coast mangroves are sparsely distributed in the estuarine areas. The conditions of the mangroves are found to be good in this region. The Karnataka coast is receiving increased attention in view of the exploitation of natural resources, that is.... fisheries, sand mining and developmental activities such as various petrochemical, fertilizers and allied industries.
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