COLOMBO, Sept. 1 -- A coral reef that has taken root in the sheltered waters of Sri Lanka's China-backed Hambantota Port has become an unexpected biodiversity hotspot, with researchers identifying at least eight fish species no longer observed in many of the island's well-known reefs.

According to a statement from the Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG), surveys of the port's internal bay revealed a higher diversity of fish species than other regional sites such as Weligama, Polhena, and Thalaramba. Among the rediscovered species were the Blue Green Chromis (Chromis viridis) and Redfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunulatus), absent in comparable studies from the other locations.

Researchers employed a standardized swim-timed transec...