An overview on aquatic biodiversity of India

Abstract

Globally the actual number of species in world is estimated to be between 1030 million species, in which about 2 million species which have been identified. Freshwater ecosystems account for 0.01% of the earth’s surface water but 10% of species. According to the UN Environment Programme. The study of biodiversity on both global and regional scales come mainly from the terrestrial environment despite the marked distinctive features of marine biodiversity and the fact that the aquatic (freshwater & marine) environment occupies more than two thirds of the Earth’s surface. The highest loss of freshwater biodiversity has been reported from the Indian subcontinent, specifically the Gangetic plains. Reason why the government has taken up the project of biodiversity conservation in the region. Each species is adapted to its unique niche in the environment, from the peaks of mountains to the depths of deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and from polar ice caps to tropical rain forests. Biodiversity is not only the richness of species; it is also their genetic variety and the multiple habitats and ecosystems in which these plants and animals live. Ecosystems contain both the living plants and animals and the nonliving elements (water, sunlight, soils) on which they depend.