We are a group of students from Juniata College (Pennsylvania, USA) studying marine science at FERAL (Foundation for Ecological Research and Advocacy) based in Pondicherry, India. Our program is focused at broadening our understanding of the cultural, social, and scientific aspects surrounding oceans and India in general. Our time here at ANET has served to bolster our knowledge of coastal marine systems and mangrove ecosystems as well as how local and commercial populations affect these systems. The program consisted of lectures, field activities, and built in time to pursue our own individual research projects, which took place in the mangroves and the intertidal zone, ecosystems unique to this area. The field activities included a day of diving in the nearby coral reefs, trips to Port Blair and the surrounding area, and a hike around Rutland Island.
As undergraduate science students, one of the most exciting aspects of ANET was the opportunity to design and implement our own research projects. Some of the projects included: regeneration of mangrove trees, mudskipper density and behavior, and handedness in male fiddler crabs. We were each given four days to collect data and time to analyze the data, with Tasneem overseeing our projects. The ability to take part in research in such a remote and exceptional environment is an incredibly valuable experience which will help with future research and occupational prospects.
Over the last year or so ANET has had the privilege of hosting a wide variety of guests, from scientists and students to volunteers and divers. Sir Mark Tully, the former Chief of Bureau, BBC, New Delhi. His tenure with BBC has allowed him to cover an array of subjects ranging from the Indo-Pakistan conflicts, the Bhopal Gas tragedy, the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi etc. and he has established himself as one of the leading figures in Television broadcasting in India and in the world. Leading hepertological taxonomist Dr. Gernot Vogel is another guest that ANET has had the pleasure of hosting. Having him on base was a great learning experience for all of us here and accompanying him on his forays into the forest looking for rare and endangered snakes was a thrilling and eye opening experience for everyone. Dr. Bryan Greg Fry, better known as ‘the venom doc’ spent five days here on a camp held by TGMP and ANET.
Found in the interface of land and sea, tropical mangrove forests are widely recognized as important nursing and feeding grounds for a variety of juvenile fish and invertebrates, often with completely different adult habitats. The complex root structures of mangrove trees, such as the prop roots of Rhizophora and the pencil like pneumatophores of Avicennia trees are believed to provide juvenile fish shelter and protection from predators while they develop. However the importance of a structurally complex mangrove might vary depending on the trophic level and life history of the fish species. Furthermore, a variety of other environmental factors such as the shallow depth of mangrove waters, tidal cycles and turbidity may combine with root structures to affect juvenile fish. With this study Bhanu from NCBS aims to investigate the effect of structural complexity on the abundance and composition of juvenile fish within mangrove forests in South Andamans. As part of this study she will also try to compare differences in mangrove forests inside the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park with mangrove patches outside, as well confirm the results of my data with experiments in the field.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are home to a unique assemblage of frogs, with a considerable proportion of endemics (about 50%). We have been documenting their status and occurrence in and around the ANET base in different habitat types. This region is rich in frog diversity with seven of the eight known species occurring, from ubiquitous generalists like the common toad (Duttaphrynus melanostiictus) to narrow, range-restricted endemics like the Andamans ‘painted’ frog (Fejervarya andamanensis) representing three different families. Disturbances in the evergreen forest habitat and scarcity of fresh-water bodies render them more vulnerable to environmental fluctuations than any other group of vertebrates. List of frog species found in the ANET base Common name Scientific name Common Asian toad Duttaphrynus melanostictus Narrow-mouthed frog Microhyla chakrapanii Andaman bullfrog Kaloula baleata ghoshi Mangrove frog Fejervarya cf. cancrivora Cricket frog Fejervarya cf. limnocharis Andamans ‘painted’ frog Fejervarya andamanensis Skittering frog Limnonectes hacsheana Andaman bullfrog Kaloula baleata ghoshi
Coral reef fishing results in direct loss of diversity and abundance of fish populations on coral reefs. The fishery typically targets higher trophic groups that play important functional roles on reefs, making this system particularly vulnerable to the effects of over exploitation, with impacts that flow to the rest of the ecosystem, reducing its overall resilience and is implicated in reef collapse. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) protect part of the reef from the negative impacts of fishing through the creation of no-take zones and through management of fishing practices. Moreover, protected fish populations inside the MPAs can help replenish fished populations outside through emigration of fish to fished areas. However, with reefs being subjected to ever increasing fishing pressures, there is further depletion of fish stocks which may have serious consequences for reef health and recovery. This study aims to assess whether MPAs in South Andamans are indeed effective in protecting fish populations within the reserve and generating spill-over of fish to nearby reefs, thereby reducing the impacts of fishing. The study area for this project is the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park located in Wandoor, South Andaman Islands. The study will be conducted from December 2011 to May 2012. Coral reefs inside and outside the protected area will be sampled to assess fishing impacts and spillover effects. Data will be collected through SCUBA diving and social interviews. This study will help assess the effectiveness of MPAs and their importance in supporting local fisheries through mitigation of fishing impacts in unprotected reef areas.
Lacadives has always believed that Scuba Diving should extend beyond leisure and enjoyment, and used as a powerful way of spreading awareness and knowledge about marine ecosystems and life underwater. Over the past 15 years, in Lakshadweep and in Havelock, the instructors at Lacadives have taught people to see and breathe underwater using masks and scuba tanks, and therefore encourage them to open their eyes to the fine balance of the ocean’s ecosystems, the intricate relationships between its inhabitants and the various adaptations that allow them to exist. This longstanding aim has been able to find further focus as a result of the collaborative partnership with ANET since 2010. Lacadives’ primary goal in ANET is to facilitate researchers and students in their projects and education programs related to Marine Ecology, Coral Reef Monitoring and Fisheries science. ANET as a Centre for Island Ecology studies 6 main ecosystems, Coral Reefs being one that Lacadives facilitates the study of. This has made ANET’s tie-up with NCBS extremely valuable, furthering the education of Masters students and facilitating researchers from various institutions studying Coastal and Marine Ecology. We have also trained the Marine Police Force of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and The Department of Environment and Forests in support of ANET’s extensive work with the local administration. Lacadives is also actively involved in ANET’s education programs for school and college students,taking them diving / snorkeling to the reef followed by presentations, discussions and analyzing the reef, as witnessed in relation to the topics covered in their curriculum. Most of our school modules are combined with dive certification courses, the outcome of which is of great value to students - certifying them as open water divers while simultaneously covering a significant portion of their physics and biology syllabus as part of the dive theory. In our own diving everyday, we also record water temperatures, regeneration, indicator species and composition and reef health, hoping that such information will not only be of value to researchers and scientists but also help recreational divers expand their views on the ocean and marine resources and involve people in the protection and conservation of the immense diversity of the coral reefs in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
For some years now the ANET team has consisted of a small group of people that live on the property in the stilted cottages that so many of our guests have come to love. As the scale of our operations has increased and we have a much larger influx of guests ( in the form of students and researchers), we have felt the need to make more of these cottages available to guests, therefore requiring us to renovate and build new accommodation for the ANET staff. At the start of this season we embarked on various infrastructural increments and renovations and the new staff accommodation was one such accomplishment. A large and airy cottage block with three rooms and one attached bathroom hosts 8 of the ANET staff who are now in close proximity to the kitchen and common area but also have a space of their own with a veranda and a view of the trees.
Rom Whitaker, Satish Bhaskar and Alok Mallick set up a base in the late 1980s in Wandoor, South Andaman for herpetological and other ecological studies in these islands. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Environmental Team (ANET), a division of the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, was constituted in 1990. Five acres of land was bought in 1993 (with grants from Conservation International and the Royal Netherlands Embassy) at Wandoor on the southern tip of South Andaman, staff were hired and further grants enabled construction of a base for conservation, research, and education.
Meanwhile, sea turtle expert Satish Bhaskar had been working on surveys and studies of turtles in these islands since 1977 and assisted the Forest Department with management recommendations. In the mid 1970s Rom Whitaker, Zai Whitaker and others had already begun crocodile and herpetofaunal surveys which Harry Andrews and colleagues continued in the 1990s. Herpetological surveys by Indraneil Das led to the discovery of eight species and several new records from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Extensive studies on sea snakes, the flora, marine turtles, herpetofaunal biogeography, bats, other small mammals, resource use, land use, rain water harvesting, coral reefs and socio-economics have been undertaken. Other activities include assisting the Forest Department in ecologically suitable protected area management planning. ANET has an ongoing environment education programme and collaborated with Centre for Environmental Education to produce a teacher-training manual in English and Hindi, (‘Treasured Islands’) for the schools in the islands.
Today.
ANET remains the main active environmental NGO and the only such research base in the islands. Several seasonal field camps have been set up over the years at key sea turtle nesting beaches in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.
Support of the base overheads has come from the Madras Crocodile Bank and most research and conservation projects have been funded by grants (see partial list below). While the Crocodile Bank can continue to subsidize ANET in a small way, a major goal is to make ANET self-sufficient through increased use of the facilities by researchers, biologists, photographers, bird watchers, naturalists and students as well as through a Paying Volunteer Programme, a form of ‘serious/constructive/instructive eco-tourism’ which needs to be fine tuned.
Vision
The vision for ANET is that it will continue to be a proactive conservation research and education organization, a main base for the below listed objectives/activities and increased collaboration with like-minded organizations.
By virtue of its nineteen-year-old research and education base station in Wandoor (South Andaman), its experienced staff and its good relationships with the A&N Forest Department, Ministry of Environment and Forests, and local people, ANET is uniquely positioned to undertake, encourage and facilitate further tangible contributions to conservation in the archipelago.
• Identifying rare and endemic species, as well as biodiversity hot spots of conservation priority, and formulating action plans to protect them. • Producing species checklists and illustrated field guides. • Documenting the distribution, abundance, and impact of introduced flora and fauna and assessing the feasibility of selectively removing detrimental exotics. • Continuing to increase efforts to educate the settlers about the islands’ vulnerable fauna, flora, soil, and water, and help them recognize the crucial importance of conservation. • Ethnobiological studies to identify practical ways in which settlers can make a living from the forest and the sea sustainably. • Continued environmental education for school children, teachers, and settlers. • Production of the teachers training manual “Treasured Islands” in other local languages. • Development of practical strategies for conserving the natural biodiversity through community action: appropriate agricultural schemes, medicinal plants, water conservation, rainwater harvesting and alternative construction methods. • Continued monitoring of sea turtle populations and nesting habitats. • Continued monitoring of crocodile populations, their habitats and related wetlands. • Continued herpetofaunal surveys and studies. • Monitoring and studies in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on species, ecosystems and habitats in relation to tsunami impacts, changes, regeneration and distribution. • Continued monitoring and assessments of the tsunami relief/rehabilitation programme in the Nicobar Islands.
PARTIAL LIST OF ANET’S ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATIONS
1. Centre for Environmental Education, Ahmedabad 2. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun 3. Wildlife Conservation Society, NCBS, Bangalore 4. Andaman & Nicobar Islands State Wildlife Advisory Board, Port Blair 5. Andaman & Nicobar Islands State Level Environmental Council, Port Blair 6. Andamans Science Association, Port Blair 7. Society for the Andaman & Nicobar Ecology, Port Blair 8. Coral Reef Monitoring Network- South East Asia, Sri Lanka 9. Centre for Ecological Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 10. Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment, Bangalore 11. Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore 12. Andaman and Nicobar Islands Forest Department 13. Andaman and Nicobar Islands Tourism Department
LIST OF BASIC FACILITIES AT ANET
1. 35’ long dugout canoe with 2 X 10hp engines 2. 2 fibre glass boats (one on loan) 3. Education Centre (large wooden building) 4. Office (on first floor of Education Centre), computer, scanner, library and reading room 5. Kitchen/dining/get-together area (with fridge, stoves, etc) 6. Six huts capable of accommodating 12 people comfortably (separate, simple bath/toilet sheds)
LIST OF STAFF AT ANET (as of 2009)
1. Manish Chandi, ANET Field Coordinator 2. Tasneem Khan, Base Coordinator (tasneemkhan85@gmail.com) 3. Saw John, ANET Base Manager (permanent) 4. Saw Aghu, ANET Base Boats and Maintenance Man (permanent) 5. Naveen Ekka, ANET Base Assistant (permanent) 6. Montu Bhowmik ANET Base Assistant (permanent) 7. Saw Paung, ANET Field Projects Sarang (only when projects are active) 8. Saw Pambwe, ANET Field Projects Assistant (only when projects are active)
*Currently ANET is under the supervision of the Administrative Committee of the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust with Gowri Mallapur as Manager.
Island Postal Address
Andaman and Nicobar Islands Environmental Team Centre for Island Ecology Post Bag- 1 Junglighat P.O. Port Blair – 744 103 Andaman Islands Phone: 91- 03192 280081 Email: contactanet@gmail.com, tasneemkhan85@gmail.com blog: www.anetindia.blogspot.com
OFFICE AND BASE: North Wandoor, South Andaman Island. Close to Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park
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Accommodation and facilities
Images courtesy Ryan Lobo (www.ryanlobo.blogspot.com)
ANET provides facilities and accommodation for researchers, biologists, photographers, herpetologists, bird watchers, naturalists and students. We also have a Paying Volunteer Programme, which is a form of ‘serious/constructive/instructive eco-tourism'.
For rates and availability do contact us at the email address and phone number below. Ask for John, Manish or Tasneem.
contactanet@gmail.com Anet base telephone: +91-3192-280081
FACILITIES AT ANET
1. 35’ long dugout canoe with 2 X 10hp engines 2. Library with reference books and journals with large working space and internet 3. Education Centre (large wooden building) 4. Office (on first floor of Education Centre), computer, scanner, library and reading room 5. Kitchen/dining/get-together area (with fridge, stoves, etc) 6. Six huts capable of accommodating 12 people comfortably (separate, simple bath/toilet sheds) 7. Snorkelling gear
cottage interior (Image courtesy Umeed Mistry)
cottage
bathroom
bathroom interior
dining area
dining area
library
The anet dungi (Image courtesy Tasneem Khan)
library verandah
library working area
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Do's and dont's at ANETfor visitors
Two coryphophylax males decide not to follow the guidelines at the ANET base
• A mosquito net is strongly recommended for use at night. Remember to tuck in the sides under you mattress.It is recommended that you use an environmentally friendly repellent like citronella for sand flies and mosquitoes.
• Swimming is not recommended at North Wandoor beach near ANET, as it is a part of the Lohabarak crocodile sanctuary.
• Regarding snorkeling, use a life jacket if you are not comfortable swimming in the sea. If you cannot swim make sure you inform the staff of the same. Please do not collect coral or shells.
• At night it is strongly recommended that you use a torch and adequate footwear as venomous snakes and centipedes have been seen on the premises. If a venomous snake does bite you stay calm and inform staff immediately but be informed that antivenin facilities are inadequate. So, tread carefully.
An endemic pit viper on an epiphyte at ANET
• If you do come across a snake or a centipede do not attempt to pick up, attack or irritate the animal. If you wish to examine the animal please do not attempt to handle the same unless you absolutely know what you are doing.
• Collection of any specimens is not allowed without necessary permits. This includes but is not limited to shells, snakes, lizards, insects and butterflies .
• Do carry a camera with you and take images of any fauna that you might see on the premises. Note the time and location of your sighting. We are in the process of making a species list at ANET and your images and/or information can be added to our database with due credit and appreciation.
• Check your commode, room and bathroom before you use them as other creatures might consider these places a temporary home. Keep your bags zipped up to prevent surprises when you open them.
• If you find an animal other than yourself in your hut and are not happy with its presence feel free to sleep in the forest. However if the animal happens to be a snake or centipede do inform the staff and necessary steps will be taken to ensure the well being of the animal.
• Do not eat mushrooms that you might find here. They are a part of the ecosystem and eating them might add you to the substrata as well.
• If you wish to take a walk in the mangroves do check the tide tables.
• Do keep the staff informed of your movements.
• Conserve electricity and switch off lights when you leave a room.
• At ANET the rainwater-harvesting pond is the only water source. Please conserve water and try to have a bath with just one bucket of water. Also do not wash your clothes in the water tanks or put anything into the drums of water in your bathrooms. Kindly do not pour clothes washing detergent down the commode. Regarding drinking water the water at ANET is boiled and filtered.
• Do not litter and please collect any litter you might find on the property. If you smoke do not drop cigarette butts in the forest. Keep them in your pocket for later disposal. Do take any plastic or mineral water bottles that you might bring here back with you when you leave.
• It is not recommended to keep food, bananas or coconut oil in your hut. Feel free to add to the menu, use the common fridge and bring along any food that you might enjoy and the staff can prepare the same for you.
• The motorbike is only for use by the ANET staff.
• If you are taken out snorkeling remember to wash ANET’s snorkeling gear with fresh water after you’re done.
• Do respect all the inhabitants of ANET. Loud music, excessive alcoholic intake, drugs and sunbathing sans clothing can irritate local wildlife.
• Do leave a comment in our comments book with your contact details. Any suggestions, praises, curses or supplications will be appreciated.
• Do enjoy and use the ANET library. Please do not remove books from the library without permission and replace books in the same spot once you are done with them. Last person out of the library should lock the library door and place the key in the key holder in the dining area.
• If you wish to leave a tip for the hard working staff or if you wish to support ANET in any way please hand the same over to John, Manish or Tasneem who can give you a receipt. Thank you.
• ANET RESERVES THE RIGHT to refuse accommodation to anyone and to ask anyone to leave for any reason.
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VOLUNTEERING WITH A.N.E.T
Learning can acquire much greater depth beyond the classroom. Direct experience and involvement can give people the opportunity to appreciate and understand an environment and its issues in a far more intimate and beneficial manner. By living and working alongside local residents and researchers one can be more than just a tourist passing through.
ANET usually has several projects in motion, many of which have a hands-on approach to conservation and aiding local communities. Depending on the time of year you could help with tree planting, office work, base maintenance, data entry and field work as well. Volunteers may assist in any research program activity. When and if funds are available, ANET may provide for incidental expenses such as transportation, lodging, and subsistence.
You have the following options if you would like to pursue a specific field of interest, which our volunteer program encourages:
- Put together a self-supporting externally funded study or project by submitting a proposal prior to your arrival. Possibilities, planning and logistics can be discussed and resolved with the help of ANET staff.
- After joining as a volunteer at the base you might discover a particular field of interest and new project ideas could be supported by way of design and planning.
Apart from your specific interests do let us know of any skills that you might have such as photography, climbing, teaching, bush craft, proficiency in local languages, etc. which could be put to good use.
Accommodation and food will be charged for at ANET. Kindly get in touch with ANET staff to plan your volunteer program. Charges may vary depending on the time of year or due to other considerations.
Join us in an adventure of learning and doing ones bit for the planet while you have the time of your life on one of the most beautiful islands.
Projects :
1. Mangrove Study
The ANET base is adjoining a mangrove patch that covers an area of approx. 6.07 Hectares. This mangrove is a typical representative of the Andaman mangrove ecosystem. The mangrove also serves as refuge for a wide variety of invertebrate associates belonging to a range of phyla. The selected study area, like a large portion of the mangroves of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was badly affected by the 2004 tsunami and lead to their large-scale mortality. Five years after the event, many such mangrove patches are recovering considerably in the islands, the mangrove patch at the ANET base provides an ideal condition to monitor various related parameters of both affected and non-affected, primary mangrove ecosystems.
- Rate of regeneration and documentation of key species in tsunami affected areas.
- A comparison of fauna and their role: between tsunami affected i.e. regenerating
sites and sites with healthy mangroves that were not affected by the tsunami.
- Effects of associated fauna on growth and productivity in Mangroves.
- Plant animal interaction; Organisms as Ecosystem engineers.
2. Intertidal Biodiversity documentation
This involves creating an inventory of marine shallow water invertebrate species in and around Wandoor, and other areas in the national park. The object being; a compilation, for identification and to provide information regarding the ecological and economic values of this zone. The purpose is to use this as a resource for local communities for species identification and as awareness material on the value of these ecosystems.
3. Rural Environment Education
The main goal is to enrich the education of rural students and teachers using the environment as a central theme. ANET periodically conducts workshops with local schools with the intention of increasing the understanding of island biodiversity, ecology and various issues and impacts.
4. Rain Tree canopy study
An enormous number or epiphytes have evolved to live in the rainforest canopy where they host a variety of wildlife.Epiphytes are an important part of rainforest diversity and play an important role in creating unique habitats and micro-ecosystems. As preliminary work for a further study on the ecosystem supported by the rain tree (Samanea saman) canopy we are in the process of documenting the epiphyte species of these trees. Volunteering on this project involves tree climbing and requires a basic understanding and interest in botany.
