{
  "id": 10594744,
  "title": "India's race to build a reef before the sea wins",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/indias-race-to-build-a-reef-before-the-sea-wins",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-29T02:43:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Economic Times",
    "slug": "the-economic-times",
    "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/the-island-that-is-disappearing-indias-race-to-build-a-reef-before-the-sea-wins/articleshow/134554343.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a sun-drenched island off India's southern coastline, workers painstakingly attach bright green seagrass shoots to wooden frames and secure them to the ocean floor. This restoration effort aims to bolster the island's natural defenses against erosion and rising sea levels by creating artificial reefs, transplanting corals, and restoring seagrass meadows. Supriya Sahu, a senior state official, emphasized that without this resilience, the island would be vulnerable to storm surges, cyclones, and the impacts of sea-level rise, which already led to a 80% loss of its landmass over the past five decades.\n\nThe island, part of a chain of 21 islands in Tamil Nadu, has shrunk from 20.85 hectares in 1969 to a mere 3.14 hectares in 2022. The coral reefs in the Gulf of Mannar, where these islands reside, play a crucial role in mitigating the impact of natural disasters, as evidenced by their role in protecting Tamil Nadu during the 2004 tsunami. Over 8,000 people perished in Tamil Nadu during that catastrophe, but these ecosystems acted as a vital natural barrier, preventing a much larger disaster.\n\nDespite decades of human activity and climate change, the Gulf of Mannar's ecosystem has continued to weaken. Coral mining in the 1960s and 1970s, pollution, overfishing, and bleaching due to rising sea temperatures have all contributed to the decline. Specifically, in Kariyachalli's case, reef cover plummeted from approximately 500 hectares in 2005 to 197 hectares in 2021. The restoration project, a part of a $4.79-million state conservation program, involves the deployment of around 8,500 artificial reef modules around the island. These bulky structures, each weighing several tonnes, are strategically placed to absorb wave force and provide new surfaces for corals to grow.\n\nBesides the artificial reefs, workers are also transplanting corals and restoring seagrass meadows to stabilize sediments and provide nursery grounds for marine life. The deployment phase is expected to conclude by the end of September, after which the site will be monitored for at least four years. For local residents like saltpan worker Devkani, the project presents a new source of income, helping them avoid financial struggles. However, scientists warn that warming oceans pose significant challenges to reef restoration.\n\nRecent events, such as a severe bleaching incident in 2024, have raised concerns about whether restoration efforts can keep pace with climate change. Researcher Raj pointed out that improving coral biomass could help them adapt to the deteriorating climatic conditions. While there are promising signs elsewhere in the Gulf of Mannar, such as the successful restoration on Vaan Island using 10,000 artificial reef modules, there is hope that similar success can be achieved on Kariyachalli island.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}