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What happened
The Zoological Survey of India's Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre concluded a three-day training workshop on coastal and marine biodiversity of island ecosystems at Sri Vijaya Puram in November 2026. The workshop focused on the unique ecological character of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, covering coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, and endemic fauna. ZSI is the nodal body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change responsible for surveying and documenting India's faunal biodiversity.
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Why it matters
The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), established in 1916, functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and is India's premier institution for faunal survey and documentation. Its Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre (ANRC) at Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) covers one of the world's most ecologically sensitive island ecosystems.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands sit within the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot — one of 36 globally recognised biodiversity hotspots defined by Conservation International. These islands host extraordinary endemism: species found nowhere else on Earth, including the Andaman wild pig, Nicobar megapode, and numerous endemic reptiles and marine invertebrates.
The marine dimension is equally critical. The islands contain some of India's healthiest coral reef systems, seagrass meadows (critical dugong habitat), and mangrove forests — all of which are classified as threatened ecosystems under various international frameworks including IUCN and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). India's coral reefs are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and the islands' waters fall under the jurisdiction of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Forest and Plantation Development Corporation.
For exam purposes, the key static facts are: ZSI's parent ministry, its founding year, the biodiversity hotspot classification of these islands, and the ecological services provided by the marine habitats covered in the workshop — coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands sit within the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot — one of 36 globally recognised biodiversity hotspots defined by Conservation International. These islands host extraordinary endemism: species found nowhere else on Earth, including the Andaman wild pig, Nicobar megapode, and numerous endemic reptiles and marine invertebrates.
The marine dimension is equally critical. The islands contain some of India's healthiest coral reef systems, seagrass meadows (critical dugong habitat), and mangrove forests — all of which are classified as threatened ecosystems under various international frameworks including IUCN and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). India's coral reefs are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and the islands' waters fall under the jurisdiction of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Forest and Plantation Development Corporation.
For exam purposes, the key static facts are: ZSI's parent ministry, its founding year, the biodiversity hotspot classification of these islands, and the ecological services provided by the marine habitats covered in the workshop — coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds.
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