Lakshadweep is known for its underwater seagrass meadows. Seagrass meadows are a theatre for dynamic ecosystem activities. Islanders called them phullu in Jesri which sounds similar to the malayalam term pullu or tamil term pul for grass.
Seagrasses are a group of flowering plants that grow in shallow marine environments, typically in coastal areas such as bays, lagoons, and estuaries. Seagrasses are true vascular plants with roots, stems, and leaves; however, they don’t belong to the same biological taxa, the terrestrial grasses that cattle feed on.
However, the seagrass-lands made of phullu in the shallow waters of Lakshadweep are an important feeding ground for the Green turtles, which are a key species and an unexpectedly successful story of global conservation efforts. Similarly, they are also critical nursery grounds for juvenile fish, shellfish, and invertebrates. During my field work on the island, some Islanders mentioned that seagrass meadows are breeding grounds for some baitfish varieties used for traditional Pole and Line tuna fishing. This fishing activity is the primary livelihood of the islanders; therefore, the phullu is a critical ecological ‘infra’-structure for sustaining the fisheries of the Lakshadweep. They are a vital carbon sink, a very critical ecological service in sustaining ecosystem interactions. However, recent studies underscore how seagrass meadows of Lakshadweep have reduced significantly
© Mahaboob Khan