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This article provides an assessment of the efficiency and efficacy of Sri Lanka's legislation Marine Pollution Prevention Act No. 35 of 2008 (administered by the Marine Environmental Protection Aut...

We present a viewpoint regarding the prospects in Sri Lanka (a tropical island nation) to depend on mangroves in the remediation of heavy metal laden coastal environments. Sri Lanka has a rich array of lagoons and estuaries (total extent of 1580.17 km

We examined the temporal variation of heavy metals in different sexes of three brackish water shrimp species with emphasis on the relationship between Fulton's K condition indices and metal polluti...

This article discusses the temporal variation and stress of heavy metal accumulation in Scylla serrata (Forskal) with reference to sexes. Cd and Sn were undetected (i.e., below the method detection limits of 0.001 Cd mg/kg wet weight and 0.005 Sn mg/kg) in both sexes. However, Scylla serrata (Forskal) consistently exhibited high accumulation of As, Pb, Hg and Zn. Zn was the most abundant metal in both sexes. (Average Zn content in males and females was around 40.76 ± 2.51 and 45.10 ± 2.24 mg/kg wet weight, respectively.) Pb and Hg levels exceeded EU and Sri Lankan admissible limits on many occasions (0.02 Pb mg/kg wet weight and 0.5 Hg mg/kg wet weight). Bioconcentration factors (BCFs) of As and Zn from the water > 1 in both sexes indicating effective direct uptake from the water. However, temporal variation of Zn and Hg and the interaction between temporal variation of these metals and the two sexes were insignificant (P > 0.05). Nevertheless, temporal variation of Pb (P

Tropical coastal lagoons comprise several habitats, which have great importance for avifauna by providing nesting, roosting or foraging sites. However, various anthropogenic activities have caused coastal habitat degradation globally. To sustain conservation, it is crucial to understand the seasonal habitat utilization patterns of avifauna. Additionally, how coastal habitats are influencing terrestrial avifaunal distribution is not well documented. Therefore, this study was carried out to examine the habitat utilization patterns by aquatic and terrestrial avifauna in Batticaloa Lagoon in eastern Sri Lanka from September 2017–August 2018. Compared with past studies, our study indicated a lower diversity of aquatic birds. Findings revealed that 47% and 27% of aquatic and terrestrial avifaunal species, respectively occurred in all habitats indicating their utilization of different habitats as alternative habitats. However, terrestrial bird composition was more similar between the different habitats (compared with aquatic birds) as per non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (NMDS) plots. Overall bird density variation was significant with season and habitat. Considering the avifaunal density, both aquatic and terrestrial birds mostly preferred swamp habitat. Abandoned shrimp farms were least preferred by aquatic birds and terrestrial birds indicating that anthropogenic habitats do not provide many of the required resources that are provided by natural habitats. Mangroves (comprising true mangrove species and mangrove associates) support a relatively high diversity of terrestrial birds, but recorded the lowest diversity of aquatic birds. Suggestions were made to improve habitats to attract more species especially aquatic birds.

This article discusses bioaccumulation and temporal variation of heavy metals in three edible lagoon fish species with references to gender. Cd and As were undetected in the three fish species (i.e., below the method detection limits of 1 μg Cd/kg wet weight and 2 μg As/kg wet weight) irrespective of the periods, and Cd was undetected in the water too (i.e., below the detection limit of 0.0003 mg/L). Except for Zn (which was mainly available as Zn2+ in the water), Pb was present largely as low labile metal-chloride complexes and As as HAsO4 2− as per Visual MINTEQ, version 3.1. Bio-transfer factors of Sn (which was also undetected in the water; below the detection limit of 0.05 mg/L), Hg, Pb, and Zn were

Sri Lankan and South Indian fishermen have been using the Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar waters for a long period. Nevertheless, after signing the maritime agreements in 1974 and 1976, Indian fishermen encroaching Sri Lankan waters with the usage of bottom trawlers (banned in Sri Lanka) has been a serious issue (which worsened since the cessation of the ethnic conflict in 2009). This article reviews the legal framework in Sri Lanka addressing illegal fishing methods and operation of foreign fishing boats with suggestions for law reformations. Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act No. 2 of 1996 (as amended) enacted by the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR) describes the types of fishing gear (including bottom trawling), fishing methods and harmful material (e.g., usage of explosives) that are prohibited, while describing the penalties for any violations. Fisheries (Regulation of Foreign Fishing Boats) Act No. 59 of 1979 (as amended) also enacted by the DFAR prohibits fishing by foreign boats in Sri Lankan waters (without a permit from the DFAR) with provisions to impose penalties for violations. However, in the Fisheries (Regulations of Foreign Fishing Boats) Act it is not indicated regarding the type of fishing gear, methods and harmful material that are prohibited (with or without any permits), while there is no specific penalty system for usage of banned fishing gear, materials and methods. Hence there is a requirement to reform the existing laws with proper law enforcement and regular monitoring of illegal fishing.

The necessity to understand the relationship between cyanobacterial species abundance and water quality variations in coastal lagoons is crucial to develop strategies to prevent further cyanobacterial proliferation. This paper evaluates the relationship between water quality variations on the distribution of cyanobacteria during a 12-month period in Batticaloa Lagoon (Sri Lanka) using Redundancy analysis and Pearson correlations. Drastic variations in pH, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO) and total phosphorus (TP) levels were reported, but not turbidity and NO3−. This brackish waterbody is hypereutrophic (TP levels > 0.1 mg/L). The cyanobacterial community contained 13 genera and 22 species. NO3−, TP and turbidity levels positively influenced cyanobacterial abundance during all seasons indicating that nutrient (largely phosphorus) and sediment entry control is highly crucial along with periodic monitoring of cyanobacterial growth.