Vaan Island:
A decade-long artificial reef restoration of Vaan Island generated socio-ecological benefits worth ₹61.67 crore—over twice its inflation-adjusted cost, according to a technical assessment by the Tamil Nadu Coastal Restoration Mission and its partners.
- Vaan is located in the Gulf of Mannar, which was declared a marine biodiversity park in 1986.
- It is part of the Tuticorin group of islands.
- It had suffered severe erosion.
- To arrest the decline, scientists deployed a specially designed artificial reef modules around the island beginning in 2015.
- The reef modules also facilitated rapid biological colonisation, supporting coral colonies per module.
- Gulf of Mannar is an inlet of the Indian Ocean, between southeastern India and western Sri Lanka.
- It is bounded to the northeast by Rameswaram (island), Adam’s (Rama’s) Bridge (a chain of shoals), and Mannar Island.
- It receives several rivers, including the Tambraparni (India) and the Aruvi (Sri Lanka).
- The port of Tuticorin is on the Indian coast.
- The gulf is noted for its pearl banks and sacred chank (a gastropod mollusk).
