A Marine wetland of Natural origin located in the Wet Zone of the Southern province. The Rumassala Marine Sanctuary encompasses a small near-shore coral reef growing on hard substrate around the base of the Rumassala hill in the sheltered waters of Galle Bay. Despite its small size, the reef is known for its rich biodiversity and is an important habitat for many marine species. It is important for small-scale fisheries, collection of ornamental fish and tourism. The reef is sheltered from rough seas by a rocky headland, and unlike most fringing reefs along the southern coast, does not have a shallow reef crest and reef lagoon. Coral communities occur on old limestone and rock habitats along the seafloor. Coral patches varying in size from a few meters to over 30m across are located a few meters away from the shore, and extend around 200m towards the sea to a depth of around 8m. Some spur and groove formations are found in deeper areas. Shallower areas contain large stands of hard coral, while deeper areas contain rocky habitats with scattered colonies of hard and soft corals. The reef was dominated by branching and tabulate Acropora spp. with significant stands of Montipora spp. and Porites rus. However, much of the Acropora was destroyed during mass coral bleaching in 1998, which resulted in the mortality of most corals. The reef has now been re-colonized mostly by Pocillopora damicornis and Porites rus, and live coral cover is around 25%. Over 500 species of reef and reef-associated fish have been recorded from the reef. Major fish groups include damselfishes (Pomacentridae), wrasses (Labridae) and surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae). The coral species Porites desilveri is restricted to Sri Lanka . Among the reef fish, Chlorurus rhakoura and Pomacentrus proteus are endemic to Sri Lanka , while Cheilinus undulates is globally endangered. The protected Labroides bicolor has been recorded at the site, while Carcharhinus melanopterus are occasionally seen on the reef. Three species of globally endangered marine turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata, Chelonia mydas, Lepidochelys olivacea and Dermochelys coriacea) visit the reef. Fishing and ornamental fish collection is carried out by the local communities. The reef is part of a larger system of coral reefs around the Rumassala headland, which includes the coral reefs at Unawatuna. The Galle Bay area has a maritime heritage as a natural harbour, and was a major sea port during the periods of Portuguese, Dutch and British occupation in Sri Lanka . Rumassala which is located close to the main harbour area is therefore an important marine archaeological site, and the watering point on Rumassala hill was important during the colonial period. The reef and secluded beach is popular among locals for recreation and is visited by tourists from nearby areas.

Rumassala Marine Sanctuary Related references