Aquagene: a unique conservatory for aquatic plants of India at KSCSTE - MBGIPS, Kerala, India

The aquatic and wetland situations in general form highly specialized but subtle ecosystems supporting abundant and much diversified life forms are fast diminishing due to indiscriminate and detrimental anthropological activities. Since most of those ecosystems are located in plains where population pressure is excessive. At present about 700 aquatic plants were reported from southern India, many of which are under threat due to the habitat deterioration destruction and pollution. Through field explorations conducted throughout southern India, we have collected and studied over 400 aquatic plant species of which 26 species are found to be in the threatened category. These species are under threat due to eutrophication and other types of water pollution and habitat destruction consequent to land filling for construction purposes. Under these situations, these plants may become extinct in future. We made concerted efforts for the ex situ conservation of these plants by propagating in the aquatic plant conservatory providing maximum natural conditions as possible at Malabar Botanical garden and Institute for Plant Science and initiated the in vitro multiplication of certain species for the reintroduction in its natural habitat.