Why the Gulf of Mannar is a marine biological paradise?

The Gulf of Mannar (GoM), located between India and Sri Lanka, has astonishing faunal richness and diversity. Two oceanographic data sets supplemented with satellite remote sensing observations are discussed here to show the unique ecological setting in the GoM sustaining a rich and diverse fauna. We tested the hypothesis that a specific stretch of a large marine environment behaves differently from the rest of the region due to its peculiar geographical position.