The coastal belt of Andhra Pradesh is endowed with 399.2 sq.km.of mudflats which serve as the prime feeding ground for the migratory birds, particularly shorebirds. One of the coastal eco-sensitive areas, they protect the coast from the rising sea level. Mudflats are formed with deposition of mud due to sea or rivertides. Wetland experts and academicians have now intensified their research on the mudflats focusing on their role in the coastal ecosystem.
There are several undisturbed patches in Krishna, Guntur and East Godavari districts in the strategic areas . “The mudflats between Nagayalanka andGuntur are the prime feeding grounds for shrimp and Olive Ridley turtles .
To our wonder, the endangered fishing cat also earns itsprey there,” said P. Brahmaji Rao, Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Science Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur. Mr. Rao has been working on the mudflats in Krishna, highlighting the vegetation. “They deserve to be treated as the fragile ecosystem,” he added.
