On India's east coast, tidepooling inspires marine conservation

Marine biologists identify and document sea creatures at low tide in Visakhapatnam, India. A local conservation group has recorded more than 500 species of marine life off the city's coast over the past six years. (All photos by Anita Rao Kashi) Biologists lead shoreline walks to reveal Visakhapatnam's rich coastal ecosystem VISAKHAPATNAM, India -- On a mildly humid evening in early winter, the beach adjoining Tenneti Park in Visakhapatnam, on India's eastern seaboard, is quiet. The receding tide has exposed a broad stretch of dark rocky outcrops covered with algae and dotted with pools of seawater. A few people linger on the sand and at the water's edge, but the outcrops are deserted. The steady sound of waves fills the background.