Hidden life in Andaman corals could shape India’s Blue Economy

India’s national agenda for a Blue Economy emphasises the sustainable use of marine resources to drive economic growth, enhance livelihoods and strengthen ecological resilience. Recent policy frameworks highlight coastal ecosystem restoration, sustainable aquaculture, innovation-led maritime industries, and the expansion of deep-sea fisheries and offshore activities as key strategies for inclusive development.

Policy design reflects the fact that the Blue Economy is inherently cross-ministerial. The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), as the nodal agency, is coordinating with a network of line ministries, including the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying for fisheries and aquaculture; the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways for maritime infrastructure; the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for ecosystem protection; and the Union Ministry of Commerce for value chains and exports.

The ambitious programme is also linked with agencies such as central think tank NITI Aayog and institutional partners for marine spatial planning, deep-ocean missions and innovation funding.

A key part of this plan is the MoES’s Deep Ocean Mission (DOM), which links deep-sea science to India’s Blue Economy goals. The mission aims to develop indigenous technologies for deep-sea exploration and the sustainable use of marine resources. It also envisions the systematic bioprospecting of deep-sea biodiversity, including microbes, invertebrates and other marine life, with potential applications across biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and environmental technology.

Despite this multi-sectoral vision, systematic investment in coral-associated biodiversity and its biotechnological potential is still at an early stage. Coral reef ecosystems and their associated microbial communities, collectively known as coral holobionts, are among the most diverse biological resources in Indian waters.

Corals and reef habitats are found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Gulf of Mannar, the Palk Strait, the Gulf of Kutch and the Lakshadweep Islands. Among these, the Andaman Sea supports particularly high coral biodiversity. However, detailed characterisation of the microbial partners within these holobionts remains limited, leaving a wide frontier for scientific discovery.

To explore the hidden microbes within coral holobionts in the Andaman Sea, researchers at the BRIC-Institute of Life Sciences in Bhubaneswar led by Subrata K Das conducted the study by collecting coral samples near Swaraj Dweep, Elephant Beach, Shaheed Dweep, Henry Lawrence Island and Jolly Buoy Island, located in the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park.

Surveys of coral ecological unites, known as holobionts, have uncovered unexpectedly rich and novel microbial diversity. These include Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio diabolicus and Vibrio fortis strains with multidrug-resistant traits, indicating complex host–microbe interactions and genetic exchange mechanisms.  A newly identified bacterium, Marinomonas fungiae, has been found to contain elements that help spread antibiotic resistance among bacteria in the environment.

The team also discovered several new bacterial species in corals from the Andaman Sea that could have useful industrial applications. Species such as Sulfitobacter faviae, Glutamicibacter mishrai, Idiomarina woesei, Photobacterium panuliri and Idiomarina andamanensis contain pathways for breaking down inorganic sulphur compounds and aromatic organics. 

The bacterium Marinomonas fungiae can break down certain chemical compounds, while a Pseudoalteromonas rubra strain, AN34, produces a molecule with both anticancer and immune-suppressing properties. These unique abilities make the bacteria useful for industry and research, and show that corals in the Andaman Sea host many previously unknown microbes.

The convergence of genomic innovation and specialised metabolism in coral holobionts positions them as valuable sources of bioactive compounds, bioremediation methods and biotechnological tools that could reshape several aspects of the Blue Economy.

By tapping into undiscovered microbial life through policy-driven scientific innovation, researchers can identify new bioactive molecules, paving the way for next-generation anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and anti-cancer therapies. Moreover, the exploration of hidden microbial diversity could provide green solutions for environmental management, agricultural systems and renewable energy, substantially supporting economic diversification within the evolving Blue Economy.

Author Subrata K Das sincerely acknowledges the support provided by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Wildlife Division, Government of India, and the Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Port Blair, for permission to collect coral samples from the Andaman Sea. 

Abhijit Poddar is Associate Professor, Mahatma Gandhi Medical Advanced Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pondicherry; Debasis Dash is Director, BRIC-Institute of Life Sciences, Department of Biotechnology; and Subrata K Das is Adjunct Faculty and Former Scientist (Retired) BRIC-Institute of Life Sciences, Department of Biotechnology.

Views expressed are the authors’ own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth