Keralam’s mangrove cover expanded in past decade despite prior decline, finds study

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Mangrove cover in Keralam registered an overall increase over the past decade, a new study by ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has found.

The study, presented at the international symposium on fisheries and remote sensing hosted at CMFRI, compared satellite images from 2017 and 2026 to map changes in mangrove vegetation across Keralam’s coastal districts. It found an overall rise in mangrove cover during the period, despite the State having lost nearly 90% of its mangroves over the past five decades, a statement issued by CMFRI in Kochi said.

Mangroves serve as vital breeding and nursery grounds for fish, protect coastlines from cyclones and storm surges, and help absorb atmospheric carbon. The findings highlight the potential of satellite-based monitoring to track mangrove recovery and support conservation efforts along Keralam’s coast.

The three-day international symposium is being jointly organised by Trevor Platt Science Foundation, Department of Chemical Oceanography of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), CMFRI and Marine Biological Association of India.

Another study presented at the symposium highlighted the increasing incidence of marine heatwaves in the Bay of Bengal. The region experienced more than 100 marine heatwave events between 1982 and 2023, with both their frequency and cumulative intensity showing an increasing trend.

The study was presented by the Department of Oceanography of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh.

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