In a first on western coast, Airoli to get a marine interpretation centre

The centre will provide a glimpse into the marine and coastal biodiversity around Mumbai.

Watch a ‘turtle’ lay eggs, smell mangroves, see what a crab looks like from all angles and hear what a bird sounds like while singing to attract a mate — all in one room. Such robotic turtles or other coastal animals, audios and videos of birds and the smell of mangroves can be experienced through multi-sensory and mechanical exhibits at an upcoming marine interpretation centre at Airoli.

The centre will provide a glimpse into the marine and coastal biodiversity around Mumbai. “We wanted visitors, especially children, to see the marine plants and animals and experience something like a turtle laying eggs, or what a crab looks like with a 360 degree view of it.

These things are not something city people have easy access to and we wanted to help conservation by exposing people to these experiences,” said N Vasudevan, chief conservator of forests, mangrove cell. “Usually, we see charts and movies, but when we experience a turtle laying eggs, we rarely forget. And that’s what we wanted at our marine interpretation centre.”

The centre, first one on the western coast, should be ready by the year end, said officials from the mangrove cell. This project is funded by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), an international agency that has set aside around Rs 80 crore for sustainable management of eight coastal and marine-protected areas in the country, of which Thane creek is a site.

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