Abstract Summary
St. Martin island is the only coral habitat in Bangladesh although the status is not good due to heavy anthropological impact, mostly from tourism in recent years. other than the climatic factors locally man-made factors posing the biggest threats to coral habitat and also making coral conservation difficult. Several Factors affecting the coral frame currently in St. Martin Island, viz., trash Plastic over the frame on coral colony, ghost net including mono-filament threads, beverage can, sedimentation, anchor damage, dragging and displacing. The physical disturbances are also intense along the whole north and east nearshore habitat due to fishing boats and tourist vessel interventions in the area. Corals have been recorded to have lower growth rate and in some cases destroyed. Out of 9 frames all have records of sedimentation and plastics or any other human induces garbage’s. There is still safe coral frame area not allocated by the government as the activity is still not within government restoration program. MLA is conducting restoration program and with the Department of Environment partnership the program is being slowly scaling up in 2018-19. The mooring buoy for the island fishing boats and small tourist vessels are not yet developed although only piloting has been completed by Marinelife Alliance(MLA) during 2015-16 with local technology. Everyday during peak tourist season large number of direct anchoring happened causing severe damage to coral colonies. Trash management is totally absent in the island, although several Gob project completed during the last 2 decade. Activities essential for the coral island protection lacking in the project program are the major causes of such impediments. The development of protected area systems also not in place and still no proper MPA has been developed. The MLA researchers convinced the islanders to keep the western zone as no take areas and named it as locally managed marine area (LMMA). Other legislation and enforcement needed to protect coral habitat through reduction of threats from multidimensional sources, viz., sedimentation from large tourist vessel, direct anchor damage, recreational activities over rocky coral intertidal habitat, littering garbage and other sewage based pollution.
