Fellow of the Linnean Society of London. Environmental protection As knowledge of the significant role that mangrove ecosystems play in the tropical coastal zone grew worldwide, it became clear that mangroves are marginal ecosystems, vulnerable to sudden or drastic changes in the environment. Mangroves do not recover spontaneously after the impact of natural or man-made catastrophic events such as cyclones or felling of the mangrove forests. In Puducherry, he advised the government on matters pertaining to the protection of the coastline, rehabilitation of arid areas and the impact of human development on the local ecosystem. Thani was instrumental in focusing attention to the tremendous ecological role that the mangrove ecosystem played in protecting coastlines from tidal waves (tsunami) and land erosion. He spearheaded scientific initiatives centered around the mangrove ecosystem at Pichavaram. He was involved in UNESCO's Asia and Pacific Mangrove Project—a multidisciplinary integrated initiative for a better understanding of the structure and function of mangrove ecosystems for sustainable use and management. Thani's scientific contribution in the realm of mangrove ecology are recorded in the posthumously published Palynology Manual. He left behind first-class work that is a benchmark for the identification of pollen from species of mangrove plants of ages past. Death Thani was on his way to the US when the airplane in which he was flying, Pan Am Flight 73, was hijacked in Karachi, Pakistan on 5 September 1986. Thani sustained fatal injuries to the head in the gun-battle which followed an attempt by Pakistani commandos to storm the aircraft and kill the terrorists. It was reported that he was trying to extend help to a child when he was struck by bullets and shrapnel from an exploding grenade carried by the terrorists. He had been invited to present a lecture at a symposium on marine palynology, as a part of the UNESCO-sponsored Second International Conference on Paleo-oceanography that was held 6–12 September at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, USA. Legacy The 22,000 pollen slide collection of the French Institute of Pondicherry was named the Dr. Thanikaimoni pollen reference slide collection as a tribute to Dr. G. Thanikaimoni during the 50th anniversary celebration of the palynology laboratory in 2010. Tertiary spores and pollen named after Thanikaimoni: Retimonocolpites thanikaimonii (Tarkeshwar Formation, Rajpardi, Cambay Basin, Gujarat, India) Spinizonocolpites thanikaimonii (Tarkeshwar Formation, Rajpardi, Cambay Basin, Gujarat, India) Warkallopollenites thanikaimonii (Cliff Section, Warkalli Formation, Varkala, Kerala, India) Bibliography Contribution to