A Paradise Yet To Be Unearthed
India’s party capital is arguably best embodied by the state of Goa, which is situated between Maharashtra and Karnataka. But beyond the parties and foreigners throughout the pristine beaches it possesses, is a quiet paradise that is filled with welcoming people, a melting pot of different ethnicities, cultures and religions who are always down to groove on the melodies of Remo Fernandes, while also being dwelled spiritually towards the supreme power of the almighty. Goa does, however, also have some of the most fascinating wildlife and stunning scenery, with a wide variety of flora and fauna to be found.
I hope to shed more light on the true beauty of pristine gods through sharing my experiences and the marine life I have explored in this piece.
The Intertidal
Goa’s coastline stretches around 104kms long, from Terkhol to the southern most point in Loliem.
Even though the party capital has a lively vibe when it comes to beach life, there are some hidden marine treasures among the sandy beaches and rocky tides.
But you may be asking yourself, what exactly is an intertidal zone? worry not, I’m here to explain just that. In a nutshell, an intertidal zone is a transitional area where the shore meets the sea or ocean. During high tides, these areas are completely submerged beneath the tides but when the tides recede, a world vibrant of life comes into picture.
Hermit crabs are one of the most common organisms found in these zones. If the Intertidal were a family, the hermits would likely be the introverted child who hides under their small shell when disturbed. These tiny crabs in the Intertidal are not true crabs, but rather rent snail shells or hollow objects to protect themselves from predators.
Fun fact: There are symbiotic relationships observed between hermit crabs and sea anemones.
Don’t these two look like a great pair?
The sea flowers
Speaking of anemones, meet the Anjuna anemone.
A close-up shot of such interesting colors on site makes for a sight to behold. I often wonder how captivating these flowers really are, but let me warn you—much like the charming neighbor next door who is always willing to poke fun at you for your antics, these lovely "appearing" creatures are hiding something special. Since science is what it is:
- They are members of the cnidarian family, which includes coral and jellyfish.
- They are strong and have a feature known as neumatocysts, or stinging cells.
Though it rarely causes us any problems, this threat can have some very nasty consequences for its prey.
Again a question arises, what are neumatocysts?
In summary, the stinging cells known as neumatocysts are present on the tentacles of a variety of organisms, including the sea anemones and jellyfishes that I am referring to here and that you are studying.
That pretty much says it all: please, please, do not try to touch these flowers (says someone with experience).
The slithery slug stars
The creatures that belong to the class Mollusca, including slugs, octopuses, snails, and snails, are the one thing that fascinates me. Meet the chloroplast chomper Elysia harasi, one species specifically related to the topic of sea slugs.
It may be a blurry image, but can you imagine discovering something as astounding as a slug that is so brilliant because it has overdosed on chloroplasts, which it gets from the algae it eats? Because they control algal populations and provide food for other organisms, these tiny intertidal players play a vital role in the ecosystem.
Cucumbers of the sea?
Now, you might be intrigued learning about the vegetables of the marine world. There are many but let’s put our focus on the one and only sea cucumber, the only cucumber you can’t slice thin and put in sandwiches, see what I did there?
Damn, that’s one fine cucumber just saying, but besides the name it really isn’t a cucumber, it’s an echinoderm that possesses some good defence up its sleeves, toxins on its cylindrical body can cause acute dermatitis if not handled with care.
Here are some of my observations, I hope y’all like it and enjoy what I write, I’m working on a new side project so stay tuned. Share it with your friends so that we can unearth the treasures beneath the tides and do good as citizens play our part and improve coastal health which in turn improves marine floral and faunal health.
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