A groundbreaking tidal mangrove nursery, the first of its kind in Tamil Nadu, has been established in Killai, close to Pichavaram in Cuddalore district. This innovative nursery is currently home to an impressive three lakh young mangrove saplings, specifically designed to strengthen them using natural tidal movements.
What sets this nursery apart from traditional methods is its ingenious use of actual tidal fluctuations. While conventional nurseries might use saltwater, they often struggle to mimic the dynamic coastal environment fully. Here, mangrove seedlings are carefully placed on floating platforms and allowed to mature in the tidal waters for a period of six to eight months.
This extended exposure allows the young plants to naturally adapt to the varying salinity levels, constant water movement, and rhythmic ebb and flow of the tides. This crucial acclimatization process physically transforms them from delicate, soft sprouts into robust, thick-stemmed saplings. This natural hardening significantly boosts their resilience, preparing them perfectly for the harsh realities of coastal life and leading to a remarkable increase in their survival rate after transplantation.
“We’re seeing a survival rate of over 90%,” reported B. Iqbal, the Forest Range Officer who pioneered this method. He developed the technique with expert guidance from A. Gopu, Assistant Conservator of Forests for the Green Tamil Nadu Mission.
District Forest Officer S. Gurusamy explained that the nursery is currently cultivating four specific mangrove species: Avicennia marina, Avicennia officinalis, Rhizophora mucronata, and Rhizophora apiculata. While this method could theoretically benefit all mangrove varieties, these four were chosen due to their size, as smaller species would be more susceptible to submersion during high tides.
Pichavaram is already a natural habitat for 13 indigenous mangrove species. This new nursery is poised to play a vital role in extensive, long-term restoration initiatives across the entire region, contributing significantly to both the Green Tamil Nadu Mission and the World Bank-supported Tamil Nadu Coastal Restoration Mission (TN-SHORE).
Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary for the Departments of Environment, Climate Change and Forests, highlighted a key benefit of this strategy: its ability to enable year-round mangrove propagation. This overcomes the previous limitations of brief seed collection periods, guaranteeing a consistent and reliable source of healthy planting material for ongoing restoration efforts.