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Impact of Marine Debris on Coral Reef Ecosystem and Effectiveness of Removal of Debris on Ecosystem Health – Baseline Data From Palk Bay, Indian Ocean
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Researchers assessed the impact of marine debris, including plastic, on coral reef ecosystems and evaluated the effectiveness of debris removal efforts. The study found that marine debris causes significant physical and ecological harm to reefs, and that removal interventions can provide measurable ecological benefits.
Abstract The interaction of marine debris with the structurally intricate coral reef communities of the Indian subcontinent has not been investigated in detail. Here, we examined the distribution and density of marine debris in the coral reef areas of Palk Bay and their interactions with coral reefs from five locations along two depth zones (T1 and T2) during 2018 to 2020 period. Derelict Fishing Gears (DFG), with ropes (51 ± 2%) and fishing lines (43 ± 2.5%) were the dominant debris forms recorded. Among the reef-forming corals, Acropora sp. colonies experienced the maximum physical injury and mortality due to DFG entanglement. While there was no evident mortality, plastic materials and anchors caused considerable physical harm and tissue loss in Porites sp. In addition, an impact assessment study was conducted by routinely removing the accumulated debris from the five locations of the test site (T1), whereas the locations of control site (T2) were left undisturbed. The study revealed noticeable variability in the benthic conditions of the test site and control site. In comparison to control sites (T2) where the debris was not removed, test sites (T1) showed a significant increase in live coral cover and coral recruit density in 2020, against that in 2018. As there was no significant variability in the water and sediment quality between the test and control sites, the significant reduction in the live coral cover and coral recruit density at control sites can be attributed to the accumulation and interaction of marine debris with the coral reef ecosystem. This study throws light on the impact of unsustainable fishing activities and other anthropogenic pressures such as tourism and waste disposal on coral reef ecosystems like Palk Bay. The livelihood of fishermen and coastal communities depends on essential fish habitats like coral reefs; hence, it is important to tackle the marine debris issue through regular debris removal mechanisms as well as through strict legal and management measures.
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