New coral reef near Colombo, a refuge for threatened biodiversity
A research team from the Sri Lanka Blue Resources Trust found a new ridge linking the Yakampita and Gingiripita reefs. The discovery reveals the surprising richness of the marine ecosystem near the capital, where some areas show over 50 per cent hard coral cover. But researchers warn that the reefs remain outside protected areas and are threatened by pollution and illegal fishing.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – A new coral ridge has been discovered off the coast of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, thanks to research conducted by the Blue Resources Trust and funded by the Lanka Environment Fund.
The new data indicate that the Yakampita and Gingiripita reefs, located a few miles off the coast, are connected by a continuous reef ridge.
The discovery was made possible by the Urban Reef Biodiversity Mapping Project, a programme mapping coral reefs near urban areas that involved five sites off the coast of the city.
According to the research, this is the first complete representation of the capital's coastal ecosystem.
“[W]e used a drop camera and an echo sounder for ground truthing and discovered the connection” between the two reefs, explained Chanaka Sooriyabandara, senior researcher at the Blue Resources Trust, at a press conference.
“[T]he Gingiripita reef system was actually around 130 hectares, making it much larger than it was previously documented,” he added.
The research found that the deeper sections of the reef can play a key role as natural refuges for corals and fish, acting as "larval sources" for the regeneration of shallower ecosystems, which are increasingly damaged by warming sea waters.
In contrast, the nearshore Palagala reef showed the poorest health, with just 2.3 per cent hard coral cover and severe signs of pollution due to sewage discharge and high turbidity.
The northeastern part of the system, Yakampita, previously unstudied, proved surprisingly rich in life. In some areas, hard coral cover exceeds 50 per cent, dominated by species such as Acropora aculeus and Turbinaria mesenterina.
For this reason, the research team decided to consider Yakampita and Gingiripita as a single ecosystem.
"These reefs," marine biologist Niroshini Galappatti told AsiaNews, "perform a vital role in protecting the coast, acting as a first line of defence against storms and tsunamis. Although flatter and less spectacular than the reefs in the south or east of the island, they are home to a surprising variety of corals that, seen from above, resemble a submerged field of flowers."
Sri Lanka’s maritime area is more than three times larger than its land territory, with an exclusive economic zone of 230,000 km² and a continental shelf of 31,000 km².
However, in recent decades, intensive fishing, tourism, and port expansion have caused significant environmental degradation.
Ecologists Ravihari Wickramasinghe and Oshantha Rajapaksha note that the new study "finally brings attention to an ecosystem that has been ignored for too long."
The new mapping, they explain, "shows that nature can survive even in densely populated urban spaces. The country will have to rethink its conservation models: not just remote protected areas, but also ecosystems integrated into city life."
Despite the discovery, the research warns that Yakampita and Gingiripita remain outside the boundaries of marine protected areas and are exposed to multiple threats, including anchoring by commercial vessels heading to the Port of Colombo and illegal trawling, which causes serious physical damage to the seabed.
Although dynamite fishing is now rare thanks to the port's radar systems, "anchors and nets continue to pose the most immediate threat,” the researchers warn.
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28/01/2019 13:27
21/09/2023 15:35
