Kadapalem and Gollakommu salt marshes

Avicennia marina forest in the swamps of Kadapalem

Fiddler crab seen in the mangrove swamps of Kadapalem

Students and teachers of Otturu High school addressed by this blogger about the need for conservation of mangroves

I explored the coast of Bogole mandal at Chippaleru, a brackish water stream for mangroves. I came across with patches of mangroves at two places, Kadapalem and Gollakommu. These are very minor swamps where very little mangrove diversity is seen.

• Mandal : Bogole
• Co-ordinates : 14⁰48¹23.44¹¹N, 80⁰04¹56.76¹¹E
• Date of visit : 30-07-2011

There salt marshes are adjacent to Chippaleru, a brackish water creek which flows from west to east and merges with Bay of Bengal after branching off into a few smaller creeks.

Mangroves are sparingly distributed in an area of about 10 acres. There is extensive invasion of Prosopis chilensis into the salt marshes.

True mangroves:

1. Avicennia marina : not exceeding 5-6 tall, sparingly distributed, full of flowers and fruits.

2. A. officinalis : only two plants are noticed, but very robust, 5-6 ft tall, flowering just began.

Mangrove associates:

1. Sesuvium portulacastrum: flowering.

2. Suaeda nudiflora: flowering.

3. S. maritima: flowering.

4. Ipomoea pes-caprae : no flowers.

5. Salicornia brachiata : no flowers.

6. Sarcolobus carinatus: Asclepiadaceae, no flowers

There is a Mandal Parishad Primary School, about 3 km from the above swamps, at Tatichetlapalem (Venkateswarapuram) in Bogole mandal. There are 73 students and 3 full-fledged teachers. After completing the field visit, this school was visited and the students and teachers were addressed about mangroves, their importance to mankind and the need for their conservation. Live specimens were shown to the students and explained with the help of a poster. Pamphlets on the need for conservation of mangroves were distributed to the teachers for disseminating the information contained therein to the local stake holders and others concerned.

Mangrove swamps of Dugarajapatnam & Kondurupalem

Fishermen at Konduru estuary

Konduru estuary

Dugarajapatnam in Vakadu mandal was once a sea port. Here the mangroves are very stunted and degraded. Much of the mangrove swamps are now converted into shrimp ponds.

Kondurupalem is one of the mouths of the Pulicat Lake in Nellore district, the other being Pudirayaduruvu. Here also there is not any diversity of mangroves. Even the mangroves present here are very much stunted due to the non-availability of fresh water.

1. Dugarajapatnam (Vakadu mandal)

Location : 13⁰59¹00.97¹¹ N, 80⁰09¹21.39¹¹E

The village is a accessible from Mallam and is about 25 km from the latter. There is Buckingham canal at Dugarajapatnam. It is very shallow here. When we cross Buckingham canal we find mangrove swamp. Avicennia marina is the only mangrove found here and it is stunted, 4-5 ft tall.

4. Kondurupalem (Konduru estuary)

Coordinates : 13⁰59¹11.21¹¹ N, 80⁰09¹47.47¹¹E

This is one of the two mouths of Pulicat Lake to Bay of Bengal. The Kondurupalem estuary has a few mudflats where mangroves are found.

True mangroves:

1. Avicennia marina - 6-8 ft tall, no flowers

2. Excoecaria agallocha- 10 ft tall, no flowers

Mangroves associate:

Sesuvium portulacastrum, no flowers

salinity: 45 ppt.

Water Temperature : 28⁰C