Mass Accumulation of Macrophytes along the Northern and Eastern Coasts of Sri Lanka - A Case Study

A survey was carried out on November 09th, 2021 following the macrophyte accumulation along Sri Lanka's northern and eastern coasts.  Collected macrophytes were identified into species level using “aquatic plants identification keys” and quantified using quadrats. From the study, the plants accumulated were identified as water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). It is an invasive aquatic plant that can cause substantial negative ecological and socioeconomic impacts. The macrophyte accumulated per square meter ranged from 33 to 97. Based on the meteorological data such as rainfall, water current, wind and the distribution of species, it was assumed that these plants had been carried from India with the severe flood and high-velocity water currents originated in the Bay of Bengal. As an initial step, it is important to identify and analyze the accumulated plant species in order to take further action to learn about potential utilization methods of these macrophyte accumulations in the future.