Mangrove Forests are distributed over nine Maritime States and three Union
Territories of the country.
Gujarat state has the second largest mangrove cover (1177.27 sq km) in the country (4975
sq km). The coastline of the State provides a suitable habitat for mangroves, coral
reefs, sea grass etc. The mangrove cover of Gujarat state is distributed over four
regions:
- Kachchh (Kachchh district): 794.77 sq. km. of mangroves (67.5% of total
mangrove cover of the state)
- Gulf of Kachchh (Jamnagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Devbhumi Dwarka and area including
Marine National Park and Sanctuary): 34 sq. Km. (19.88% of total mangrove
cover of the state)
- Saurashtra (Amreli, Junagadh, Gir- Somnath): 5.7 sq. km. of mangroves (0.48%
of total mangrove cover of the state)
- South Gujarat (Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad, Anand, Bharuch, Surat, Navsari and Valsad)
including Gulf of Khambhat- Dumas Ubharat areas: 139.77 sq. km. of mangroves
(11.87% of total mangrove cover of the state)
The mangrove forests of the State are represented by 15 mangrove species viz. Avicennia
marina, Avicennia officinalis, Avicennia alba, Acanthus ilicifolius, Aegiceras
corniculatum, Bruguiera cylindrica, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Ceriops tagal, Ceriops
decandra, Excoecaria agallocha, Kandelia candel, Lumnitzera racemosa, Rhizophora
mucronata, Rhizophora apiculata, Sonneratia apetala. Among these 15 species, A. marina
is the most dominant species.