Sri Lanka, Aug. 31 -- A new baseline study by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, at Ocean University of Sri Lanka has revealed a thriving ecological marvel beneath the waters of Hambantota International Port (HIP). Despite being an artificial breakwater, the reef at HIP now supports the highest diversity of reef-associated fish in Southern Sri Lanka, outperforming natural sites like Weligama, Polhena, and Thalaramba.

Using a standardised swim-timed transect method, covering areas of 5 by 20 meters at depths between 0.5 and 5 meters, researchers catalogued observed visual counts of fish by family and feeding behaviour. While Weligama and Polhena showed respectable biodiversity (with Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index scores of 1...