Climate change taking toll on St Martins coral colony
Saturday, 12 December 2009
Mashiur Rahaman
The effect of climate change is causing a lasting damage to the country's only existing coral colony in St Martins Island faster than forecast.
Marine experts predict a serious disruption in the ecological balance will adversely affect the human settlers, who depend directly or indirectly on the corals.
Frequent fluctuation in the water temperature, murky water around the coral colony, vulnerable sea and human exploitation are fostering a total extinction of the country's coral resources, the experts opined.
Effects of climatic change variables around the island and in the mainland are playing a vital role in the process, which is propelled by tourist invasion, they added.
Coral colony in the coast of St Martins Island has been the source of life in the ecosystem. But its long term existence is already under threat by the neotectonic activity that is lifting up the island approximately at a rate of 19 mm per year.
The island is 7.315 km long located about nine km south-east of Cox's Bazar and home to 3,700 people, who mainly live on fishing.
According to experts 66 categories of corals were found around the island that acts as main hatching spot for 86 species of marine fish.
"Coral is very small part of marine ecosystem for an island but almost every life evolves around it," Project director of Coastal and Wetland Biodiversity Management Project, Jafar Siddique of the environment and forest ministry told the FE.
If the destruction of coral colony continues, soon their will be no coral left to provide hatching ground for these fish species, and is likely to create scarcity of fish for the fishermen of the island, he explained.
Growth of coral colony demands a specific range of temperature, clean surface water, appropriate depth and pollution-free water; he said adding that all these mandatory preconditions for proper growth of coral colony are significantly at risk at present, Mr Siddique elaborated.
The marine experts said proper growth of coral colony requires water temperature of about 22 C (not below 18C). Reacting to unfavourable environment, the corals get gradually pale and meet death.
"Natural colours of the coral colony in the St Martins are fast becoming pale as environment around the island is changing unfavourably for its growth," Mahbubur Rahman, project director of the project said.
The experts said unclear water around the colony disturbs the growth of phytoplankton, which is the main food of the corals.
Recent study of the Climate Change Cell has revealed that water temperature along the coast has increased in the last couple of years. The sea water remains murky more frequently and for longer time due to rough weather and untimely flash flood flows into the coastal water from upstream rivers.
"Frequent and unpredicted flash flood in Naf River is making sea water around the St Martins Island murky and enhances destruction of its coral colony," Mr Rahman added.
According to the country's meteorological department four major cyclones passed through the Bay of Bengal coast, while two of them directly hit Bangladesh territory. Moreover, frequent depression has made the sea vulnerable for more than dozen times.
Since coastal and marine lives largely depend on the existing coral colony in the island, experts urged the government to take protective measures immediately.
The effect of climate change is causing a lasting damage to the country's only existing coral colony in St Martins Island faster than forecast.
Marine experts predict a serious disruption in the ecological balance will adversely affect the human settlers, who depend directly or indirectly on the corals.
Frequent fluctuation in the water temperature, murky water around the coral colony, vulnerable sea and human exploitation are fostering a total extinction of the country's coral resources, the experts opined.
Effects of climatic change variables around the island and in the mainland are playing a vital role in the process, which is propelled by tourist invasion, they added.
Coral colony in the coast of St Martins Island has been the source of life in the ecosystem. But its long term existence is already under threat by the neotectonic activity that is lifting up the island approximately at a rate of 19 mm per year.
The island is 7.315 km long located about nine km south-east of Cox's Bazar and home to 3,700 people, who mainly live on fishing.
According to experts 66 categories of corals were found around the island that acts as main hatching spot for 86 species of marine fish.
"Coral is very small part of marine ecosystem for an island but almost every life evolves around it," Project director of Coastal and Wetland Biodiversity Management Project, Jafar Siddique of the environment and forest ministry told the FE.
If the destruction of coral colony continues, soon their will be no coral left to provide hatching ground for these fish species, and is likely to create scarcity of fish for the fishermen of the island, he explained.
Growth of coral colony demands a specific range of temperature, clean surface water, appropriate depth and pollution-free water; he said adding that all these mandatory preconditions for proper growth of coral colony are significantly at risk at present, Mr Siddique elaborated.
The marine experts said proper growth of coral colony requires water temperature of about 22 C (not below 18C). Reacting to unfavourable environment, the corals get gradually pale and meet death.
"Natural colours of the coral colony in the St Martins are fast becoming pale as environment around the island is changing unfavourably for its growth," Mahbubur Rahman, project director of the project said.
The experts said unclear water around the colony disturbs the growth of phytoplankton, which is the main food of the corals.
Recent study of the Climate Change Cell has revealed that water temperature along the coast has increased in the last couple of years. The sea water remains murky more frequently and for longer time due to rough weather and untimely flash flood flows into the coastal water from upstream rivers.
"Frequent and unpredicted flash flood in Naf River is making sea water around the St Martins Island murky and enhances destruction of its coral colony," Mr Rahman added.
According to the country's meteorological department four major cyclones passed through the Bay of Bengal coast, while two of them directly hit Bangladesh territory. Moreover, frequent depression has made the sea vulnerable for more than dozen times.
Since coastal and marine lives largely depend on the existing coral colony in the island, experts urged the government to take protective measures immediately.