Marine festival makes waves

Shores are magical places. They play host to a variety of marine life. They are shared and bio-diverse spaces, where the submergence and emergence of land facilitates the sustenance of life forms such as crabs, fish and eels. Coastwise 2020, the second edition of Maharashtra's flagship intertidal festival, organised by WWF India, the Mangrove Foundation of Maharashtra, and Marine Life of Mumbai aims to make the invisible spaces on our shores visible. Brought to the city in association with mid-day, the festival will host a screening of the Chasing Coral film, photography and cartooning workshops, informative shore walks, as well as talks by biologist, diver, educator Tasneem Khan and cartoonist Rohan Chakravarty. "The primary idea behind Coastwise is to generate awareness about the biodiversity our coasts hold and how intrinsically they are linked to human livelihoods and well-being. In Mumbai, despite the beaches being an important part of the city's identity, we are oblivious of the creatures that live a few centimetres below the sand we walk on," says Caroline Pais, education officer, Maharashtra state office, WWF India.

The festival this year is spread across three new locations, including Chennai, Diveagar and Goa, in addition to Mumbai. These have been selected for their focussed interest and tourist opportunities in the marine field. If there was one event from the festival programme you had to catch, we'd recommend the flamingo festival at Airoli. It will culminate in a photography competition that celebrates India's intertidal biodiversity.

What: Coastwise 2020
When: Till February 19; 12 pm onwards
Where: Across locations around the city such as Airoli, Juhu, Napean Sea Road, and Sassoon Docks
Contact: coastwise.in

Tasneem Khan

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