Abstract:
Abstract
Occupying less than one percent of the ocean floor, reefs are home to more than
twenty-five percent of marine life. Saint Martin's Island (SMI) is the only island
in Bangladesh where a reef-like ecosystem is found. An underwater survey was
conducted to uncover the underwater biodiversity on this island in the winter
seasons from 2016 to 2019. The photographs of these species were captured by
scuba diving and snorkeling in a water depth of about 3 to 7 meters. The study
revealed 131 faunal and 18 floral species of different taxa viz. Bivalves (5
species), Crabs (5 spp.), Feather star (l sp.), Fireworm (l sp.), Fishes (53 spp.),
Flatworm (l sp.), Hard corals (27 spp.), Hermit crab (1 sp.), Jellyfishes (3 spp.),
Lobster (1 sp.), Octopus (1 sp.), Sea anemones (3 spp.), Sea cucumber (1 sp.), Sea
fans (8 spp.), Sea fern (1 sp.), Sea slug (6 spp.), Sea turtle (1 sp.), Sea snail (1 sp.),
Sea star (l sp.), Sea urchin (1 sp.), Sea whip (1 sp.), Sponges (3 spp.), Tubeworms
(4 spp.), Zoanthid coral (2 spp.), and Seaweed (18 spp.). Coral bleaching was also
observed in this study. The present study exposes the hidden beauties of rich
underwater biodiversity of this island to the people with the hope to take part in
supporting and conserving this island by the tourists, related stakeholders and
government.
Keywords: Saint Martin' Island, underwater survey, snorkeling, scuba diving, coral.
