My visit to Galgibag and Talpona-The Mangrove sites of Goa

The Department of Botany celebrated World Mangrove Day on 26th July 2023 by organizing a field visit to Galgibagh and Talpona, the mangrove sites of Goa. I and my colleagues and students participated in the field visit. We started our journey by bus from the Government College of Arts, Science, and Commerce at 11 am. We took the road from Balli, Karmal ghat, then finally to Galjibag village. We traveled via a new highway and reached the spot. The mangrove cover in Goa is approximately 0.5% of the total mangrove cover in India (Mesta et al., 2014). As per the recent data published by the India State of Forest Report (2021), Goa has a mangrove cover of 27 km2. Mangroves are found along the estuaries of Terekhol, Chapora, Mandovi, Zuari, Sal, Talpona, Galgibag, and Cumbarjua canal (Singh et al., 2004). 



These mangrove sites are situated in Canacona taluka of South Goa. The Galgibag estuary is 16 km long near Galgibag village, which is close to the estuary mouth. Mangrove vegetation is dense. The main species found in this estuary are Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora mucronata, Avicennia officinalis, Sonneratia alba, Avicennia marina, Derris heptaphylla. It was found that mangrove cover increased from nil to 2.0 ha in the Galgibag estuary between 1994 and 2001, thereby showing 200 percent increase. Galgibag is also the nesting ground of the Olive Ridley turtles, a protected area at the beach's northern end. We visited the Galgibag beach in the showering rains and enjoyed the weather. We could not wait on the beach for much time as it was very windy. We saw the nesting site and came back to the bus. After studying the mangroves in Galjibag, we visited Talpona village. 





Galibagh beach-Turtle nesting site


Talpona village is very beautiful with a lot of settlements and mangroves around. We went to the spot where a lot of mangrove plantation was found growing. We got off the bus and walked along the mangrove stretch. It was raining, and the vegetation was greenish. The Talpona is a 9 km long estuary. Rhizophora mucronata, 20 m in height, and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, 12 m in height, were growing in this stretch. Other mangrove species were Avicennia officinalis, Derris heptaphylla, Excoecaria agallocha, Sonneratia alba, Acanthus ilicifolius. Mangrove species also grow in private adjoining lands, where tidal water enters during high tide. Students and staff reported at the Mangrove site at 12:20 pm.

 




Mangrove site in Talpona


Professor Mehtab Bukhari, Head of the Department of Botany, highlighted the importance of Mangroves and the need for their conservation and protection. Botany faculty Prof. Mehtab Bukhari, Dr. Dhillan Velip, Ms.Sujata Dabolkar, and Ms. Shubhra Bhende helped the students identify and show different parts of the tree. Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees and are called halophytes, and are adapted to live in harsh coastal conditions. They contain a complex salt filtration system and a complex root system to cope with saltwater immersion and wave action. Mangroves provide invaluable benefits to coastal communities around the globe. Mangroves become more critical as they help humans solve climate change problems. Mangroves’ aerial roots prevent erosion, retain and filter sediments, and can facilitate soil’s vertical growth, and, in some cases, can help the land keep pace with sea level rise.

Mangroves protect coastal areas from Tsunamis, storm surges, and soil erosions; due to their complex root systems dissipating sea wave energy. Sediment deposition is a visible feature that arrests coastal erosion and seawater pollution. Many fish species and other fauna breed here. Students also noted the wildlife prevailing in that area. Sustainable development, joint forest management, and plantation of rare and endangered species of mangroves can be helpful in the conservation of mangrove ecosystems.

It was a fruitful, knowledge-providing, and adventurous trip to mangrove sites in Galjibagh and Talpona. While returning, we learned much about mangroves and made ourselves aware of why we should protect mangroves.

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