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| Sunday, 5 September 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Coral Gardens of Hikkaduwa : Bleached to death
What would Hikkaduwa be without its unique 'Coral Gardens'? You don't have to wonder. El Nino, responsible for sending the world weather patterns out of kilter in 1998 has effectively bleached out 90 per cent of the coral formation in this picturesque marine sanctuary, leaving just pallid skeletal remains to remind one of the beauty that once was. El Nino was a global phenomenon and bleaching for coral formation took place throughout the world. But what's seen as the greater tragedy, isn't so much the effects of El Nino, but the devastation caused by ignorance, negligence, vandalism and the failure of the relevant authorities to take any effective step to conserve this beautiful natural resources, even today. *** The multi-coloured corals of Hikkaduwa, which fascinated international divers are no more. What's found in place are dead skeletal remains. High radiation of sea water and the upward trend of sea surface temperature that took place in April 1998, bleached out 90 per cent of the coral formations in the shallow waters of this marine sanctuary. Bleaching of coral formations took place throughout the world and this phenomenon was known as the 'El Nino' effect. However, in Hikkaduwa, the situation has been further aggravated by the use of dynamite and other explosives to fish at shipwreck sites and the lack of proper conservation measures to safeguard the coral resource. For more than a century, the 'Coral Gardens of Hikkaduwa' enticed foreign holiday makers to Sri Lanka and even before tourism became a money spinner the under-water marine sanctuary, full of multi-coloured corals drew tourists to the Hikkaduwa waters. Just by word of mouth, even before the establishment of the Tourist Board, the 'Coral Gardens'drew many tourists, with its diverse beauty. 'De Ransonnet', a Viennese national was one of the early European divers who explored the beauty of this under- water wonderland. Since then, every year, internationally renowned marine biologists, naturalists, conservators and divers frequented the Coral Gardens. Gradually it became a very popular Diving Station in South East Asia. Over visits to this sensitive ecosystems by large crowds has created numerous environmental constraints threatening its existence. Plunderers and vandals are active not only in destroying terrestrial resources but even all forms of marine resources on the ocean bed. Illegal methods of killing fish using dynamites and other types of explosives has been a constant threat to all forms of living things in the sea around this marine sanctuary. And this inhumane method of killing fish is continuing unabated almost daily, according to foreign and local divers. Several ship wrecks found on the sea bed in and around Hikkaduwa have become popular among 'wreck-divers' as they are fascinating locations to explore for the spectacular show of marine life. Unfortunately all the wrecks found on the sea-bed from Galle to Akurala had been dynamited for the fish found in abundance inside the wrecks. Every year, internationally renown divers do under-water video documentaries of the dynamited fish found dead inside the crevices of rocks, wrecks and on the sea-bed. Professor S. U. K. I. Ekaratne, Director, Staff Development Centre, Department of Zoology, Colombo University is one of the most reputed marine biologists and he is the only Professor in the country diving for research work on marine biology. Referring to the El Nino effect, he said increase in sea water temperatures had resulted in the bleaching of coral formations on an unprecedented scale, destroying reef diversity and gravely affecting ecosystem processes that enabled the proper functioning of the reef ecosystem. According to Professor Ekaratne the coral reef is a microcosm of different communities, each separate but linked to the next by a complex web of ecological interaction. These communities are distinctive because on a single reef, they form a series of narrow zones having a particular place in array of rapidly changing environmental gradients. Important factors controlling the composition of the coral community are the availability of light, wave action, sediment load, salinity and the tidal range. These factors are clearly inter-related. But wave action affected the sediment load which in turn affected the availability of light. One of the most basic factors controlling reef development he said was the relationship between the rate of reef growth and the rate of sea level change. According to Ekaratne, increase in sea temperatures had, apart from bleaching, also reduced diversity and population size of coral species in the Hikkaduwa marine sanctuary. In addition, coral nestling fish have lost their abodes, which in turn had affected reproduction and population growth. Prior to bleaching, there had been 55 species of fish belonging to 23 families with the dominant fish species being 'angel fish', 'butterfly fish', 'surgeon fish' and 'wrasses'. However after the bleachig phenomenon, the 'Butterfly fish' and 'wrasses' had been replaced by 'parrot fish' with 'angel fish' and 'surgeon fish' emerging as dominant fish groups nine months later. Coral mortality, Professor Ekaratne said was followed by increase in algae growth on the dead reef-structure, paving the way for an increase in herbivorous fish species. Corolivorous 'butterflyfish' species had gradually decreased. Three years after the bleaching, the reproduction of corals had also reduced significantly. Numerous issues related to the conservation of the Hikkaduwa marine sanctuary had been identified by Professor Ekaratne and his team of researchers. They had identified the absence of a Visitor Centre to regulate visitors, and visitor pressure; increased. The use of'glass bottom boats' that cause damage to corals and coral ecology; failure to ban boat operators from feeding fish living in the sanctuary night fishing by operators of glass-bottom boats and the indiscriminate dumping of effluent by hotels located along the beach were some of the major issues identified by the team. Mitigating the effects of the bleaching, Professor Ekaratne and his team of researchers initiated a project to replant corals shortly after the destruction caused by the bleaching. The project proved to be a success with over 75 per cent of the re-planted corals taking root on the sea bed. But the project was abandoned for unexplained reasons, sounding the death knoll to resuscitation of a once beautiful natural resource. Several proposals mady by Professor Ekaratne to conserve this marine sanctuary had also been ignored by the relevant authorities. R. K. Somadasa de Silva an International Diving Instructor operating at Hikkaduwa for well over 30 years added, what could be the epitaph to the death of corals when he pointed out the use of dynamite to fish took place almoston a daily basis in and around the marine sanctuary and that beach hotels continue to dumping their garbage into the marine sanctuary with the authorities looking the other way. Will the responsible parties awaken from their deep slumber in time to recover this great heritage of ours, or will they continue to rest and take no notice while the world around them are falling apart? Eventually, if this goes on Hikkaduwa no doubt will only be a place where we will visit only in our dreams! by W. T. J. S. Kaviratne - Ambalangoda Special Correspondent ***** Wreck sites The following popular diving sites and ship-wrecks are constantly exposed to dynamiting for fish and these locations are in close proximity to Hikkaduwa under water marine sanctuary. Walduwa depth 15 metres, Hikkaduwa Gala depth 3 m. to 21 m. Kiralagala depth 20 m. - 38 m. 'Earl of Shaftsbury (ship wreck) 8 m. - 15 m. this ship wreck is nearly 200 years old. 'Conch' a ship wreck found in the sea off Akurala depth 5 m. - 21 m. (150 years old and supposed to be the largest tanker wrecked). 'Nosa' a ship wreck depth 5 m - 15 m. 'Actturus' a ship wreck depth 18 m - 20 m. 'Orestas' a ship wreck depth 10 m - 15 m. 'Crisppagy Cross' a ship wreck depth 15m -18 m. 'No Name' a ship wreck depth 15 m. Alu Gala a rocky coral reef depth 20 m. 'No Name' another ship wreck at a depth of 24 m. 'Rangoon' a ship wreck 32 m. 'Hemba Gala' an under water coral reef depth 24 m - 37 m. 'Demba Gala' 15 m. meant for night diving, 'No Name' a ship wreck depth 55 m. and another ship wreck without a name, 'No Name' found at a depth of 25 m. 'Rangoon' is a ship wreck found in front of the Galle harbour at a depth 32 metres and this British ship is about 60 metres long. 'Conch' is the largest shipwreck found at a depth 21 metres and it is about 150 years old. though damaged due to dynamiting, still the large steam boiler could be seen. This oil tanker could be found on the sea bed at Akurala on the South Coast. Beautiful tropical fish and coral formations could be found at this location. The 'Earl of Shaftsbury' is a british sailing ship about 14 metres and 80 metres long. It is about 125 years old and the ship burnt out due to fire. 'Alliance' is another ship wreck found on the sea bed off Balapitiya. It was a wooden sailing boat used to transport charcoal. This sailing boat could be seen at a depth of 50 metres. It was heavily dynamited to remove copper. Beautiful tropical fish is found in abundance at this site. |
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