Resources › CA MCQ Practice
14 Jul 2026ENVIRONMENT3 questions

Forty Years of Counting Birds in the Gulf of Mannar: Fifty-Seven Per Cent Are Gone

UPSC-standard MCQs with explanations, trap analysis, and approach guide. Answer after the test — not before.

1

Easy

1

Medium

1

Hard

Practice this set

3 questions · full analysis after submission · no sign-up required

Start test →Read the article first

Article summary

A four-decade assessment of shorebirds in the Gulf of Mannar has found overall abundance down by roughly 57 per cent. The study drew on four non-continuous survey periods between 1985 and 2024 — 1985–88, 2005–07, 2018–19 and 2021–24 — recorded 40 species, and analysed standardised peak seasonal counts using a hierarchical generalised linear mixed model, identifying a marked decline beginning after 1987–88. The losses are not evenly distributed: historically abundant long-distance migrants such as the Siberian Sand Plover and the Curlew Sandpiper declined significantly, while the Kentish Plover and Greater Sand Plover increased in recent years, indicating a change in community composition rather than uniform depletion. The site matters. The Gulf of Mannar lies in the Laccadive Sea between south-eastern India and western Sri Lanka, holds coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves across its island chain, and supports more than 4,223 recorded species including 117 hard corals, dugongs, sea turtles and dolphins. It was declared a Marine National Park in 1986 and a Biosphere Reserve in 1989 — the first marine biosphere reserve in India and South Asia.

What this tests

recallTests whether you read the article and retained key facts.
1Q
applicationTests whether you can apply the concept to a new scenario.
1Q
analysisTests whether you can reason across multiple related facts.
1Q

Sample questions — answers revealed after test

ENVIRONMENTRecallEasy

Q1. With reference to the Gulf of Mannar, which one of the following statements is correct?

AIt was declared a Marine National Park in 1986 and a Biosphere Reserve in 1989, making it the first marine biosphere reserve in India and South Asia.
BIt lies between south-western India and the Maldives, opening into the Arabian Sea.
CIt is connected to Palk Bay through the Ten Degree Channel.
DIt comprises a chain of 21 islands, none of which supports coral reefs, its biodiversity resting on mangroves alone.
Answer revealed after you submit the test
ENVIRONMENTApplicationMedium

Q2. The assessment found that long-distance migrants such as the Curlew Sandpiper declined sharply, while shorter-distance species such as the Kentish Plover increased in recent years. Which one of the following inferences is best supported by that pattern?

AThe decline is fully explained by habitat loss within the Gulf of Mannar itself.
BThe later surveys systematically under-counted long-distance migrants relative to the earlier ones.
CPressure lies along the Central Asian Flyway — at staging sites and on breeding grounds — rather than only at the wintering site, since purely local habitat loss would affect species sharing the same mudflats more uniformly.
DLong-distance migrants have abandoned the Central Asian Flyway and now use an alternative route.
Answer revealed after you submit the test
ENVIRONMENTAnalysisHard

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the Gulf of Mannar and its shorebirds: 1. The bay holds coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves in close proximity and supports more than 4,223 recorded species, including 117 species of hard coral. 2. The 1985–2024 assessment across four survey periods recorded an approximately 57 per cent decline in overall shorebird abundance, with marked reduction after 1987–88. 3. Because the Gulf of Mannar is both a Marine National Park and a Biosphere Reserve, domestic protected-area status is sufficient to secure its migratory shorebird populations. Which of the statements given above are correct?

A1 only
B1 and 2 only
C2 and 3 only
D1, 2 and 3
Answer revealed after you submit the test
Practice all 3 questions →All CA MCQ sets